Grado AEON-3

The Aeon3 is a moving magnet (MM) cartridge from Grado, part of the Lineage series. It fits the standard 1/2 inch mount on a tonearm's headshell and converts the micro-vibrations of the groove into an electrical signal for a phono stage. Its body is made from Honduran cocobolo and the final assembly of each unit is carried out by hand.

The cartridge pairs a naked elliptical diamond stylus with a sapphire cantilever, a combination of materials unprecedented in the Grado range. The generation system relies on four high-purity copper coils and dual-magnet technology, driven by a patented generator named Flux-Bridger, designed to balance the response across the entire frequency spectrum. A four-stage shielding process isolates the coil windings to limit interference along the signal path.

In terms of measurements, the Aeon3 covers a range of 5 Hz to 70 kHz, with a channel separation of 35 dB, an impedance of 47 kOhms and an output of 1 mV. Its compliance of 20 mm/N and recommended tracking force of 1.5 to 1.9 g indicate a relatively soft setup, to be precisely adjusted on the tonearm used. The weight of 11 g must be compatible with the effective mass of the tonearm.

This model is aimed at vinyl enthusiasts with a quality turntable and tonearm, as well as a phono preamplifier capable of making the most of a carefully built MM cartridge. Its profile suits demanding listening, geared towards fine tonal reproduction and stereo imaging rather than occasional use.