Table of contents
Introduction
Shopping for an affordable audiophile turntable or a replacement phono cartridge can feel like wandering into a record store with no bins labeled. There are dozens of options, plenty of strong opinions, and just enough bad advice to derail you fast. Moving magnet vs. moving coil, and yes moving iron if you are looking at Grado, is only the first fork in the road, not the destination.
Tonearm compatibility matters. A lot. Just because a cartridge fits does not mean it belongs there. Effective mass, compliance, and recommended tracking force are not marketing fluff. They determine whether your table sings or sulks. When in doubt, ask the manufacturer or a dealer who actually mounts cartridges for a living.
Most entry level turntables ship with a pre installed cartridge from Audio Technica, Sumiko, or Ortofon. That is not a bad thing. Set the tracking force, dial in anti skate, and you are spinning records in minutes. For many listeners, that is more than good enough.
But if you are not thrilled with the stock sound, or you are upgrading an existing table, there are genuinely excellent alternatives that do not require selling rare Blue Note originals. Below $800, there are cartridges that dig deeper into the groove, improve tracking, sharpen imaging, and let you fine tune tonal balance without going off the deep end.
A reality check. Your phono preamp matters almost as much as the cartridge. Pair a great cartridge with a mediocre phono stage and you have just kneecapped your system.
Say it louder for the people in the back. Do not spend more on the cartridge than the turntable. A properly restored vintage deck with a competent arm will absolutely outperform an entry level table wearing an $800 moving coil. A modest moving magnet like the Nagaoka MP 110, correctly set up, will deliver more musical satisfaction than an overmatched Dynavector ever will.
Setup beats price. Every time. Alignment, VTA, tracking force, clean records, and a clean stylus matter more than the logo on the box. Dirty records kill styli.
As for our recommendations, all of our 2024 Editors’ Choice cartridge picks are still readily available and remain rock solid buys. 2025 has been a relatively slow year for cartridges, with only a few meaningful updates from Audio-Technica and Ortofon. That is not a knock. It just means the smart money has not changed.
Our three picks this year were not close calls. They drew the most attention from the group, logged the most listening time, and earned unanimous support. No drama. No debate. Just cartridges that deliver the goods and remind you why vinyl is still worth the trouble.
Best Phono Cartridges of 2025
MoFi UltraTracker ($349)
The MoFi UltraTracker earns its spot on our list because it does exactly what a great $300-$350 moving-magnet cartridge is supposed to do: it makes vinyl fun again without dumbing things down. The UltraTracker has real drive and momentum—it puts pep into lethargic systems, locks onto grooves that would send cheaper carts skating toward the label, and keeps music centered and coherent even when records aren’t museum-grade. That combination of excellent tracking, punchy dynamics, and a forgiving—but not soft—presentation makes it an obvious upgrade from entry-level cartridges, whether it’s bolted to an all-tube rig with horn speakers or a modest solid-state setup with bookshelf monitors. This is the kind of cartridge that gets people buying more records, not tweaking VTA until their coffee goes cold.
Just as important, the UltraTracker scales well and plays nicely with real-world systems. Its 3.5mV output and sane loading requirements mean it works with a wide range of phono stages, while the nude elliptical stylus digs out musical detail without turning surface noise into the main event. The fact that it’s used weekly on an all-vinyl FM broadcast says a lot—this thing tracks reliably, sounds consistent, and doesn’t panic when confronted with a well-loved LP. At $349, it’s not boutique jewelry, it’s a working cartridge with broadcast-level reliability and crowd-pleasing sound. That’s why it’s on the Editors’ Choice list: performance, value, and zero drama—just spin records and enjoy.
Sumiko Wellfleet ($499)
The Sumiko Wellfleet moves into the upper tier of MM cartridges with a hand-built design from Yokohama, Japan, a 6.5-gram body, and a highly polished 0.3 × 0.7 mil nude elliptical stylus. By removing the bond between tip and shank and reducing excess mass, the stylus assembly responds faster and tracks more accurately than bonded ellipticals in the lower Oyster range. Output is 3 mV—low for an MM and right in the competitive zone with the Ortofon 2M Bronze, Nagaoka MP-200, and Grado Timbre Platinum3. Recommended tracking force runs 1.8–2.2 grams, with 2 grams working best in most tonearms. The package includes a stylus guard, case, mounting hardware, an allen key, and a brush.
Sonically, the Wellfleet is punchy, dynamic, and an excellent tracker, with a more forward, energetic character that works especially well with jazz, rock, and electronic music. The presentation leans slightly forward and crisp, making it a strong match for darker-voiced systems that need more bite and articulation up top. The soundstage isn’t the widest in the category, but detail, drive, and musical engagement are all standout strengths. For under $500, the Wellfleet is a serious overachiever and a compelling option for listeners who want a refined, lively MM cartridge with excellent tracking and a nuanced, modern elliptical profile.
Read our review | $499 at Crutchfield
Sumiko Amethyst ($649)
The Sumiko Amethyst sits at the top of the company’s MM lineup and distinguishes itself with a redesigned cartridge body that’s not shared with the lower models. It uses a 0.2 × 0.8 mil nude line-contact stylus, weighs 6.5 grams, and outputs a relatively low 2.5 mV—putting it in direct competition with cartridges like the Dynavector 10×5 MKII and edging close to high-output MC territory. Load capacitance is rated at 100-200 pF, and tracking force remains in the familiar MM range, with 2 grams being the sweet spot in most setups. The interchangeable stylus system is shared with the Wellfleet, but the Amethyst’s improved body and anatomy push its performance further.
On a quality turntable with a strong phono stage, the Amethyst delivers greater resolution, top-end extension (35kHz on paper), and noticeably more clarity than typical MMs in this price band. It’s punchy, dynamic, and a very confident tracker. The soundstage could be wider and it’s not quite as transparent as an Ortofon 2M Bronze or Goldring E4, but the overall refinement and detail retrieval make it feel underpriced for what it can do. For listeners who want a line-contact MM with excellent resolution and a lively, articulate presentation, the Sumiko Amethyst is one of the strongest options at the $650 mark.
Read our review | $649 at Crutchfield
The Bottom Line
Sumiko, Ortofon, and Audio-Technica continue to dominate the affordable and mid-priced cartridge market for good reason, while Denon, Hana, Nagaoka, and Grado remain strong second-tier options with distinct sonic flavors. Yes, there are plenty of $1,000 to $10,000 cartridges for those chasing the last few percentage points of performance, but we’re unanimous on this: your money is better spent on a solid turntable, a capable phono stage, and a growing record collection than on a consumable component that will need replacing far sooner than you think.
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