Turntables with cartridge

A turntable supplied with a cartridge arrives ready to play: the cartridge is already fitted and adjusted on the tonearm at the factory, with no delicate handling required for alignment, tracking force or anti-skating during setup. It is the simplest configuration for getting started when fitting and adjusting a cartridge yourself feels intimidating. The supplied cartridge is generally a moving magnet (MM) model, robust and compatible with most phono preamps, fitted with a conical or elliptical stylus depending on the turntable’s level. Two points are worth knowing. The cartridge is the link that transforms grooves into an electrical signal, and in a balanced system, upgrading the cartridge often brings more improvement than changing the turntable: the original cartridge is therefore a good starting point, not an end point. Next, the stylus wears out. A conical tip should be replaced after around six to seven hundred listening hours, before it damages records; on an MM cartridge, only the stylus is replaced without changing the entire body. Checking that the supplied cartridge accepts a replacement stylus, and if possible an upgrade, avoids having to start from scratch later. This turntable can later receive a higher-end cartridge, its stylus can be replaced once worn, and the setup requires a phono preamp to be listened to.