Top 6 – The Best High-End Vinyl Phono Cartridges in 2025

Analog technology has successfully secured its place at the top of the sound quality sky – but choosing a cartridge for the High End analog equipment is fraught with many nuances. The new editorial rating has collected six of the most impressive vinyl cartridges that you can choose in 2025.

EMT JSD Novel Titan MC

Pros – fundamental and powerful sound

A cartridge with a high output level (1 mV) and low compliance, the EMT JSD Novel Titan MC uses silver-wound coils and beautiful titanium body. The coil core with AlNiCo mag is splitted in two parts around a cantilever made of titanium, which encloses the sapphire cantilever for diamond stylus. At 16 ohms internal impedance, the cartridge is quite difficult to match, but with due attention to the selection of a correcting preamp, the EMT JSD Novel Titan MC literally captivates, providing an incredibly dense and energetic delivery with deep bass.

Etsuro Urushi Bordeaux

Pros – a lot of details and bass

The High End Etsuro-Urushi Bordeaux is equipped with a Micro Line diamond needle with a working surface of 80 microns, fixed on a sapphire cantilever, which additionally rests on another 2.5 mm sapphire plate located inside the body. Add a magnetic system made of soft iron and samarium cobalt – and we understand why they ask for such money. Listening dots the “i’s” – it’s hard to find fault with the sound even for a experienced audiophile.

Miyajima-Lab Carbon stereo

Pros – exquisite presentation with all the nuances and shades

The Miyajima-Laboratory Carbon cartridge uses a very interesting engineering design with a cantilever with an insert made of carbon nanofibers and a wooden body. With an output voltage of 0.21 mV, you'll need a powerful phonostage, but the game is worth the candle - the Miyajima-Laboratory Carbon stereo delivers incredibly flexible and beautifully layered sound.

Analog Relax EX1000

Pros – music flows like a river

The top Japanese pickup guarantees an exceptionally comfortable sound, equally well transferring the listener to the atmosphere of a jazz club, or to a rock concert. The head provides a fairly high output level and significant output impedance – but when docked with a compatible phono preamplifier, it can change your vision about vinyl. The high retail price is fully justified – don’t forget about the body made from 2,000 years old YAKUSUGI cedar.

Clearaudio Titanium V2

Pros – innovative design, great level of details

The newest Clearaudio Titanium V2 cartridge, although it occupies the second line from the top in the company's model range, but, in fact, accumulates all the proprietary technologies. Eight neodymium magnets installed in the ring create a magnetic field of such strength that the channel separation of the cartridge exceeds 30 dB. The coils are wound with gold, the cantilever is made of ora, and the diamond needle has a Micro HD sharpening. The cartridge operates in a frequency range of up to 100,000 Hz and guarantees a genuine flurry of details.

Lyra Atlas λ Lambda

Pros - the sound is approaching the reference level

Lyra Atlas λ Lambda offers the richest sound with the plasticity and liveliness of the original. The multi-angle body system eliminates standing waves, the cantilever here (made of boron and covered with diamond spraying) is directly installed in the body, which provides the most direct path for the signal. Working in a frequency of up to 50,000 Hz, the model has an output of 0.56 mV - which is comfortable for most phonostages.