Prestige Black

About the Prestige Black

The Grado Prestige Black cartridge is a hand-assembled moving iron phono cartridge made in Brooklyn, NY, with nearly 60 years of craftsmanship behind it. It features a three-piece OTL (optimized transmission line) cantilever with a Grado-specific diamond mounted on a brass bushing, which reduces resonance and distortion while preserving musical detail. The cartridge uses a twin magnet system and patented Flux-Bridge generator for high resolution and low effective moving mass, resulting in a warm, natural, and clean sound with strong bass and detailed soundstage. It has ultra high purity copper coils wound in unison for precise channel balance and accurate stereo imaging. The chassis is de-stressed to dissipate unwanted energy and resonances. It is compatible with standard half-inch mounting and has a user-replaceable stylus. The cartridge is praised for stable tracking, low surface noise, smooth treble extension, and a slight emphasis on the lower frequencies, making it suitable for a wide range of music and systems. Though no longer in production, it remains a popular and highly regarded cartridge for modestly priced turntables.