Grado Reference The Reference

For sale is an excellent condition, Grado Reference "The Reference" MI cartridge.

It is the high output 4.8mv version.

I had it checked out by Brooks Berdan Ltd a couple weeks ago via microscope. Tech said it had virtually no wear and looked new. He also remarked how clean the diamond looked, to which I responded that I clean the stylus with LAST Stylus cleaner after each play. He said "No wonder!"

I would say there is approximately 300hrs on it. Grado said the "The Reference" will last 3000hrs... but who knows. I can tell you it sounds great, but requires very careful setup. I've found it tracks and sounds best at 1.6 grams with a low antiskate setting of 1 gram. VTA should be tail down every so slightly otherwise it gets grainy on top. Tail up and it is un-listenable.

As you can see by the pics, it is in great condition and the cantilever is perfectly straight. There is black damping paint on the top half of the cantilever and a tiny red dot near the stylus. These are applied by Grado to control resonances, and are still intact.

Rated at 7 because the opening of the stylus hole is not as shiny as when new... these plates seem to get dull over time from dirt. Just a cosmetic thing as it does not affect sound.

Comes with original box, info sheet, screws, and stylus guard.

Buyer pays paypal fee, I cover shipping with insurance.