Grado Opus4 Hi-Fi Cartridge

Grado Opus4 Phono Cartridge — Entry Point to the Timbre Series

The Grado Opus4 phono cartridge opens the Timbre Series, bringing wood-body cartridge character to a more accessible price point in the Grado lineup. Built around a thermally aged American Maple housing, this moving-iron cartridge delivers a balanced and musical presentation. Offered in high-output, low-output, and mono configurations, the Opus4 is a flexible match for a wide range of phono stages and tonearms. For listeners stepping up from entry-level moving-magnet designs, it introduces the tonal signature of Grado's wood cartridge line.

What Sets the Opus4 Apart

Housed in thermally aged American Maple, the Opus4 uses a body material selected for its ability to dampen and control resonant frequencies. Inside, ultra-high purity 5N OCC copper wiring and cryogenic treatment preserve signal integrity, while the moving-iron flux-bridger design keeps the coil structure fixed for speed and harmonic stability. A bonded elliptical diamond on an aluminum cantilever provides reliable groove contact across a wide range of recordings.

Technical Parameters — Signal, Tracking, and Build

Electrical and mechanical specifications are tuned for compatibility with both MM and MC phono stages, depending on the build chosen. The high-output version delivers 4.0 mV at 5 CMV (45°), while the low-output version produces 1.0 mV for true moving-coil phono inputs.

• Body: American Maple wood, thermally aged
• Cantilever & Stylus: Aluminum cantilever with bonded elliptical diamond
• Output: High 4.0 mV / Low 1.0 mV @ 5 CMV (45°)
• Frequency Response: 10 Hz – 60 kHz · Channel Separation: Average 30 dB
• Tracking Force: 1.6–1.9 g · Compliance: 20 μm/mN · Weight: 8.3 g
• Builds Available: High Output, Low Output, Mono

Who the Grado Opus4 Is For

The Grado Opus4 is the right choice for vinyl listeners moving up from stock moving-magnet cartridges who want wood-body tonal character without flagship pricing. It suits turntable owners with medium-mass tonearms in the 1.6–1.9 g tracking range, and the dual high/low output options make it compatible with both MM phono stages and true MC inputs. Mono builds serve collectors of vintage mono pressings, while the non-sensitive capacitive load design keeps playback stable across a wide range of tonearm cables.

Grado Labs and the Moving-Iron Legacy

Grado's phono designs trace back to Joseph Grado's patented flux-bridger principle, a moving-iron architecture that keeps the coil structure fixed while generating a precise signal with extremely low moving mass. The Opus4 applies that principle in a thermally aged American Maple housing, with internal wiring built from ultra-high purity 5N OCC copper. As the entry point of the Timbre Series, it carries forward the construction approach of the line's higher-tier wood cartridges.