Grado Timbre Sonata4 Phono Cartridge - Mono

Grado Timbre Sonata4 Mono Moving Iron Phono Cartridge

What You Need to Know

The Nude Stylus Meets Dedicated Mono Playback

The Grado Timbre Sonata4 Mono Moving Iron Phono Cartridge brings the stereo Sonata4’s biggest advantage—a nude elliptical diamond on a specially designed cantilever—to purpose-built mono playback. Hand-built in Brooklyn with a hand-carved Mediterranean olive wood body, it retrieves detail from mono grooves that lesser cartridges leave behind.

For serious mono collectors, this is the step where resolution takes off.

Why a Dedicated Mono Cartridge?

Mono records carry music in the groove’s side-to-side motion only. A true mono cartridge reads exactly that—so the surface noise, wear, and vertical artifacts a stereo cartridge picks up simply disappear. As Grado puts it, a mono cartridge makes your records quieter and more musical.

Phase anomalies vanish, the center image locks in, and no mono switch is needed—both channels carry the identical signal.

Nude Elliptical Diamond on an Upgraded Cantilever

The Sonata4 Mono’s nude elliptical is cut from a single piece of diamond—no metal shank, no glue joint, far less tip mass. Mounted to a specially designed aluminum cantilever, it responds to the groove faster and more faithfully, pulling clean transients and fine texture from vintage mono pressings and modern reissues alike.

True Mono Generator with 6N Copper Coils

Grado doesn’t simply bridge a stereo cartridge. The Sonata4 Mono uses a revised version of Joseph Grado’s patented flux-bridger generator—wound with ultra-high-purity 6N OCC copper—engineered for mono operation while keeping the same ultra-low moving mass.

High Output, Hand-Built in Brooklyn

With 4.0mV of output, the Sonata4 Mono works with any standard MM phono input. Each one is built to order and hand-assembled at Grado’s family-owned Brooklyn factory, est. 1953.

Building Your System

The Sonata4 Mono rewards quality turntables with medium-mass tonearms. Many collectors keep it mounted on a second headshell or tonearm, switching to it whenever a mono pressing hits the platter.

Please note: mono versions are built to order by Grado—allow additional lead time.

Features & Specifications

True Mono Moving Iron Generator
Reads only the mono groove for quieter, more musical playback.

Nude Elliptical Diamond Stylus
Single-piece diamond with far less tip mass for faster, cleaner sound.

Hand-Carved Mediterranean Olive Wood Body
Natural tonewood damping for warm, dimensional, organic sound.

High-Output Design
4.0mV works with any standard MM phono input—no mono switch needed.

Wood Cartridge Upgrade Program
Trade in any Grado wood cartridge toward a new one—regardless of condition.

Hand-Built in Brooklyn, USA
Built to order at Grado’s family-owned factory, est. 1953.

Specifications

•          Type: Mono Moving Iron (MI)

•          Stylus: Nude Elliptical Diamond

•          Cantilever: Specially Designed Aluminum

•          Body: Hand-Carved Mediterranean Olive Wood

•          Output: 4.0mV

•          Load Impedance: 10k–47k ohms

•          Mounting: Standard ½-inch

•          Tracking Force: 1.6–1.9 grams

•          Weight: 9.4 grams

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a mono switch or special phono preamp?
No. The 4.0mV output works with any standard MM phono input, and both channels carry the identical mono signal—no switch required.

Can I play stereo records with it?
The mono version is purpose-built for mono pressings. For stereo records, use the stereo Sonata4—many collectors keep one of each.

How does it compare to the Platinum4 Mono?
The Sonata4 Mono upgrades to a nude elliptical stylus on a specially designed cantilever—the biggest sonic step in the lower Timbre range, with faster transients and finer detail from your mono grooves.

Who is the Sonata4 Mono designed for?
It’s ideal for dedicated mono collectors who want true audiophile-grade resolution from original pressings and mono reissue series.

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