Grado Timbre Opus4 Phono Cartridge - Low Output

Grado Timbre Opus4 Low Output: Wood-Body Moving Iron Cartridge

The Opus4 is the entry point into Grado's Timbre Series of wood-body cartridges. Grado describes its sound as balanced and musical, with stability, coherence and separation.

This listing is the low output version, rated at 1.0 mV. Grado also builds the Opus4 in high output and mono versions.

Moving Iron Design

Every Grado cartridge uses a moving iron design built on Joseph Grado's patented flux-bridger principle. The coils stay fixed while moving mass stays extremely low. Grado says this gives speed and control without the fragility of traditional moving coil designs.

Elliptical Diamond on an Aluminum Cantilever

A bonded elliptical diamond rides on an aluminum cantilever. The elliptical profile gives effective groove contact and reliable tracking. The aluminum cantilever adds a stable, controlled presentation.

American Maple Wood Body

Grado chose American maple to help control resonance and shape the cartridge's tonal balance. The body supports stable playback across a wide range of tonearms.

How the Opus4 Low Output Fits Your System

It mounts in a tonearm headshell and needs a phono stage. Grado specifies an input load of 10k to 47k ohms, and the cartridge is not sensitive to capacitive load.

Output is 1.0 mV, a quarter of the high output version's 4.0 mV. Make sure your phono stage has enough gain for a 1.0 mV cartridge. Set tracking force between 1.6 and 1.9 grams. This is the stereo version; for mono records, Grado offers a separate Opus4 Mono.

Who Is This Phono Cartridge Best For?

• Listeners new to Grado's wood cartridges — the Opus4 is the Timbre Series entry point.
• Phono stages with plenty of gain — the low output version produces 1.0 mV.
• Anyone wanting a sturdy design — Grado's moving iron design keeps moving mass low and coils fixed.
• A wide range of tonearms — it weighs 8.3 grams with 20 μm/mN compliance.
• Not for — phono stages with too little gain for 1.0 mV; choose the high output version instead.

How Does It Connect to Your System?

• Mount the cartridge in your tonearm headshell and connect the four tonearm leads.
• Set tracking force to 1.6 to 1.9 grams and align the cartridge.
• Connect your turntable to a phono stage set for a 10k to 47k ohm load.
• Versions sold: low output (this listing), high output and mono.

Pairs Well With

Build out your vinyl setup with:

• Phono Preamplifiers
• Turntables
• Turntable Cables
• Grado

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the low and high output versions?

The low output version produces 1.0 mV, with 6 mH inductance and 70 ohms resistance. The high output version produces 4.0 mV, with 55 mH and 660 ohms.

What tracking force does it use?

Grado specifies 1.6 to 1.9 grams.

Is it a moving coil cartridge?

No. It uses Grado's moving iron design, based on Joseph Grado's patented flux-bridger principle.

What phono stage load does it need?

Grado specifies 10k to 47k ohms. It is not sensitive to capacitive load.

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