Turntable cartridges are not universal, but it’s easy to figure out which cartridge fits your turntable or record player.
Are Turntable Cartridges Universal?
No, the reason cartridges are not universal is because there are two main types that fit differently on turntables, P-Mount and Half-Inch.
The easiest way to know which cartridge you have on your turntable is to determine whether or not there is a headshell.
What is a headshell?
The headshell is a piece designed to attach to the end of a turntable’s tonearm. The cartridge is screwed into the slots on the headshell to hold it properly in place.
Some tonearms will not have a removable headshell, but is actually part of the tonearm itself. You will still note the two screws on the top of the cartridge fastening it to the tonearm which will inform you it is a half-inch cartridge as further explained below.
What are the types of cartridges?
Half-Inch:
Half-inch cartridges are named so because the holes where the screws are fastened are located a half-inch apart on top of the cartridge.
Half-inch cartridges are installed on your turntable via a headshell which is why is why it’s easy to tell which type of cartridge you need. If you see a headshell attached to the end of your tonearm, you need a half-inch cartridge.
If this is still intimidating when shopping for a new cartridge, just know that if your cartridge comes with two screws with two holes on top, then it’s a half-inch.
Half-inch cartridges are popular on most all newly manufactured turntables today. If you own a U-Turn, Project, Fluance or Audio-Technica, to name a few, you will have a half-inch cartridge mounted to a headshell.
Half-inch cartridges require more patience when installing. The tiny screws that are required to install the cartridge to the headshell are easy to lose and can be a challenge to install. You also have to connect the blue, green, red and white cables from the cartridge to the headshell. Be careful when removing these wires from your old cartridge as they can easily break.
After installing the cartridge on the headshell, you will need to use a protractor to make sure you properly align the cartridge for best performance. After aligning, you will then need to balance the tonearm, properly set the weight of the cartridge and anti-skating.
P-Mount:
It’s easy to determine if your cartridges is P-Mount as there are not holes on top of the cartridge for screws, therefore there is no need for a headshell.
A P-Mount cartridge simply slides into the arm and is held in place by a screw near the back of the cartridge. The screw fastens through the tonearm and the cartridge to hold it into place.
P-Mount cartridges were popular with turntable owners who didn’t want to have to fuss with all of the steps listed above required to properly install a new half-inch cartridge on a headshell.
Installing a P-Mount Cartridge:
If you’ve never installed a P-Mount cartridge before, here is a great video explaining how to do so:
The video below does an excellent job pointing out the differences in the cartridges explained above:
Everything You Need To Know About The Stylus On Your Cartridge
This article focuses on the difference between Half-Inch and P-Mount cartridges, but if you’re interested in reading more about the stylus on a cartridge, read our article here.
The article further explains the role of the stylus on a cartridge and provides information on which you might prefer as you purchase new cartridges for your turntable or record player.
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