EAT Forte S with C-Note Tonearm - Piano Black - Jo No.5 Cartridge

Massive by Design, Matched to EAT's Own Cartridge

The EAT Forte S is the compact sibling of EAT's original, larger Forte turntable — a single-chassis design rather than the original's separate dual-motor housing. At roughly 97 pounds total, "compact" is relative, but the Forte S trades some of the big Forte's mass for a more manageable footprint without giving up its playback philosophy.

This package includes EAT's own Jo No. 5 moving-coil cartridge, factory-mounted on the C-Note tonearm. Its nude fine-line stylus is built for detailed, smoothly balanced, precisely imaged playback. Available in either Piano Black or Macassar finish.

A hinged dust cover is included to keep dust off the platter and tonearm between sessions. The C-Note tonearm's full adjustment range means a future cartridge upgrade stays realistic down the road.

Mass, Magnets, and a Dual-Motor Drive

A Smaller Platter, Magnetically Suspended

The platter shrinks from the original Forte's 15.75 inches to 14.2 inches, and its weight drops from 44 pounds to 33 — still enough mass to resist speed variations. Sorbothane damping lines the inner side, and a mat made from recycled vinyl damps the outer side.

An inverted bearing rides a ceramic ball against a Teflon thrust plate, with two large neodymium magnets suspending much of the platter's weight. That magnetic support takes pressure off the bearing itself, reducing both mechanical noise and long-term wear.

Two Motors, One Set of Matched Belts

Two AC motors sit symmetrically beside the platter, driving it through a pair of equal-length belts — unlike the original Forte's offset dual-belt design, which needs two different belt lengths. A three-position panel selects 33.3rpm, 45rpm, or off electronically.

Four height-adjustable magnetic feet act as a mass-loaded sub-chassis, isolating the whole turntable from vibration coming up through the equipment rack, the floor, and even nearby loudspeakers playing at volume.

The EAT Jo No. 5 Moving-Coil Cartridge

Jo No. 5 uses a nude fine-line stylus on an aluminum cantilever, wired with pure 4N copper coils, in a mint-green polyamide body built by selective laser sintering. It outputs 0.33mV into a recommended load above 20 ohms, with tracking force set to 2.4 grams (2.2–2.5 gram range).

Because Jo No. 5 is a moving-coil cartridge, it needs a phono preamp with MC gain rather than a standard MM-only stage — verify your amplifier or preamp supports it before ordering.

Who Is This Turntable Best For?

• You want a cartridge already matched and mounted — Jo No. 5 arrives factory-fitted on the C-Note tonearm
• You want extreme mass and magnetic suspension working for you — the Forte S's whole design is built around controlling vibration
• You have (or plan to add) a moving-coil-capable phono preamp — Jo No. 5's low output needs one
• You have a rigid equipment rack rated for real weight — this is a heavy turntable, and the rack matters as much as the table
• You're chasing the very last measure of resolution — Jo No. 8 refines an already excellent cartridge further, at a real price premium

How Does It Connect to Your System?

The Forte S has no built-in phono preamp. Because Jo No. 5 is a moving-coil cartridge, its RCA output needs a phono stage with MC gain, or a step-up transformer feeding a standard MM input.

Setup is a two-person job: fitting the platter, belts, and counterweight, then leveling the magnetic feet. Jo No. 5 ships mounted, but its tracking force and alignment should still be verified before your first record.

Pairs Well With

Where the Forte S goes from here:

• Integrated amplifiers — look for a built-in MC phono stage to skip a separate box
• Phono preamplifiers — required for playback, since the Forte S has no phono stage built in
• Audio racks — a rigid, level shelf rated for the Forte S's full weight is not optional here
• Record cleaning machines — a clean record surface matters even more with a cartridge this resolving

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this package include a cartridge?

Yes, EAT's own Jo No. 5 moving-coil cartridge, factory-mounted on the C-Note tonearm.

Does the Forte S have a built-in phono preamp?

Jo No. 5's low 0.33mV output needs an external phono stage with moving-coil gain, or a step-up transformer into an MM input — there is no phono stage built in.

How do I change between 33⅓ and 45 rpm?

Use the three-position panel next to the platter to select 33.3rpm, 45rpm, or off — there's no belt to move.

What's the difference between Jo No. 5 and Jo No. 8?

Jo No. 8 steps up to a nude Shibata stylus on a boron cantilever in a solid chestnut body, aiming for finer detail retrieval and more precise tracking than Jo No. 5's fine-line stylus — at a meaningfully higher price.

Does the turntable need a special stand?

Yes. At roughly 97 pounds, the Forte S needs a rigid, level equipment rack rated to support its weight — a lightweight shelf or wall-mounted platform generally isn't suitable.

See It in Action

GRAMOPHONE walks through the Forte S in a smaller room setup:

Kronos AV, with UK distributor Henley Audio, reviews the Forte S in depth:

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Learn More

Want to learn more about turntable setup, moving-coil phono preamps, or cartridge care? Visit our Learning Center for guides, tips, and expert advice.