Grado Sonata4 Hi-Fi Cartridge

Grado Sonata4 Phono Cartridge — Balanced Resolution with Moving Iron Stability

The Grado Sonata4 sits in the middle of the Timbre Series as a wood-body phono cartridge designed for clarity, control, and musical flow. Built on Grado's moving iron architecture, it pairs the low moving mass of a moving coil design with the practical stability of a fixed-coil system. Offered in high-output, low-output, and mono configurations, this model adapts to MM and MC phono stages alike, with a Mediterranean Olive wood housing and nude elliptical stylus that reflect decades of Grado cartridge development in Brooklyn, New York.

What Sets the Sonata4 Apart in the Timbre Line

Two design choices distinguish this cartridge from typical phono cartridges in its segment. The moving iron generator keeps the coil structure fixed while only the iron element moves, delivering speed and harmonic integrity without the fragility of a traditional moving coil assembly. Its Mediterranean Olive wood body is selected for resonance control and reshaped to improve cantilever visibility during alignment, making setup more precise across a wide range of tonearms.

Technical Specifications — Engineered for Compatibility and Control

The spec sheet reflects a cartridge tuned for stable tracking and broad phono-stage compatibility. Output, inductance, and resistance are split between high and low builds, while tracking force and compliance remain consistent across both.

• Body: Mediterranean Olive wood — resonance-controlled housing with reshaped profile for easier alignment
• Generator: Moving iron (flux-bridger principle) — fixed coil, low moving mass
• Cantilever and Stylus: Custom aluminum cantilever with nude elliptical diamond
• Output (High / Low): 4.0 mV / 1.0 mV — matches MM and MC phono stages
• Tracking Force: 1.6 g–1.9 g — compatible with medium-mass tonearms
• Controlled Frequency Response: 10 Hz–60 kHz
• Cartridge Weight: 9.4 g

Who the Sonata4 Is Built For

The Sonata4 is the right choice for vinyl listeners who want a wood-body cartridge with the tonal balance of a moving magnet and the tracking precision of a moving coil. Audiophiles running MM phono stages will find the 4.0 mV high-output build a direct match, while those with MC-ready phono preamps can step down to the 1.0 mV low-output version for a quieter noise floor. Mono builds are available as special-order configurations.

Its 1.6–1.9 g tracking force and 20 µm/mN compliance suit a wide range of medium-mass tonearms, and the non-sensitive capacitive load design keeps performance consistent across cable lengths.

Grado Labs — Brooklyn Cartridge Design Since the 1950s

Grado Labs has been hand-building phono cartridges in Brooklyn, New York, since founder Joseph Grado established the company in the 1950s. The patented flux-bridger moving iron principle that defines every Grado cartridge traces back to his original work, and the current family-led team continues to refine that approach with each new Timbre Series release. Owners of existing Grado wood-body cartridges can also trade up to a higher model through the Wood Cartridge Upgrade Program.