Goldring 2500 Moving Magnet Cartridge

As the body is not straight, setting up was not easy but on the other hand, adjustments were easy to make. Good tracking, smooth delivery but one caveat - the body is metal and when mounted in a Linn Akito arm produces hum on one channel. This was traced to the body and the metal to metal contact of the screws. Solution was to use a small piece of mastic to isolate the cartridge from the arm

I have been a hi fi nut for many years and have listened to a lot of different carrtidges over time. This was purchased after reading reviews to replace an Audio Technica AT OC-9 MC cartridge in my Linn LP 12.I decided to go back to a MM type rather than MC because this goldring seemed to be at the price a better performer than any corresponding priced MC. well after only a week, I am NOT disappointed at all. Out of the box it sounds superb.It is well balanced, has bass depth and smooth mid and treble.Reviews say it will get even better after a run in of around 70 - 100 hours.I am not going to go into great ecstatic depths of how it sounds, like a magazine writer would do but I am really impressed with the sound so far. Right, what about the installation and setting up of this Goldring? Well the fitting to tone arm is easy as it has threaded holes into which the fixing bolts are placed so no need for 3 hands because of fiddly little nuts to hold. The alignment is worth doing and rechecking a couple of times in order to get it right.The only slight down side is that the cartridge is curved at the front so a little more difficult when trying to line up with the marks on a protractor.But it is possible and I got it right after about half an hour. I rechecked it and then set arm height and tracked it at the recommende 1.75g.. The other not quite so good thing is the stylus protector is not the best I've ever seen and needs to placed on carefully.I highly recommend this cartridge if you are looking for an upgrade. If you cannot quite stretch to this price the Goldring 1042 by all accounts is not too far behind in performance, just a slightly older design but has been a top seller for ages.I think the 2500 will soon be atop seller.

A fiddly cartridge to install due to lack of straight lines on bodywork but worth persevering with as, once it’s ‘burnt in’ it was a marked improvement on my Goldring 1042X with a deeper, solid and more controlled bass and a detailed and sweet treble with a very precise soundstage

Excellant