Grado Prestige Black 3 Cartridge Review

(Updated 11/2/20 – Read My Updates at Bottom of Original Article)

After much research for budget cartridges online, I decided to pull the trigger and buy the Grado Prestige Black 3 cartridge on Amazon for just $80.

I recently purchased a PrimaLuna EVO 100 tube preamplifier and paired it with my solid state McIntosh MC 2505 and Pro-ject phono preamplifier, all playing through ELAC Debut 2.0 bookshelf speakers.

While on vacation, I stumbled on a used 1977 JVC JL-F50 direct drive turntable. Everything worked properly but it needed a new cartridge so I opted to try the Grado for a couple of reasons:

1) Price – after spending money on the tube preamp and the turntable, I couldn’t justify spending $200+ on a new cartridge (yet) and

2) Bass response – several reviews I read mentioned Grado’s bass response and I thought that might pair well with a tube preamp.

After hooking up the components and installing the new cartridge, I could definitely hear the low end, almost too much at first. However, I don’t think I heard too much low end as much as I missed hearing the higher frequencies. Supposedly Grado is known for rolling the highs off and favoring the midrange instead. That is definitely the case on my system. I hear a lot more lows and mids than high frequencies which takes a little getting used to, especially since the cartridge being used on my other system is an AudioTechnica AT120E which has a stronger focus on highs.

One thing to note…I’ve read Grado carts take anywhere between 30-50 hours to burn in and I’m not near that threshold yet but the more I listen, the more things sound like they are opening up.

Also, I believe this cart can be easily upgraded with styli from Grado’s Blue or Gold carts which is a plus.

When researching Grado carts, I read where they had hum issues in the past and I’m happy to note that I haven’t heard any hum with the Black 3 on my JVC table.

I have yet to own an Ortofon Red or Blue to compare the Grado with but if I were to tell someone how the Black 3 sounds, I’d simply say, “It favors the low and midrange and if you’re a fan of high frequencies, you will definitely miss hearing them with this cart.”

However, if you’re looking for an entry level cartridge under $100 and do not want to spring for the Ortofon Red, I would suggested giving the Grado Black 3 a try!

Update:

I’ve been working from home for six months now and have put a lot of hours on the Grado Black Prestige Black 3 and here is what I’ve decided…

I miss the high frequencies Audio Technica cartridges provide.

As I write this, I have subbed my AudioTechnica AT120E cartridge in place of the Grado and enjoy hearing those crisp highs again. Whenever I played music via CD or cassette on this system, I heard highs I wouldn’t hear when using my turntable with the Grado cartridge.

I think my next investment will be in the AudioTechnica AT-VM95SH cartridge with the shibata stylus which retails at $199, more expensive than the $80 I paid for the Grado. I look forward to hearing the difference the shibata stylus makes.

Does this mean I regret buying the Grado? No. I believe there are plenty of people who prefer the emphasis on mids that the Grado excels at providing. If you enjoy the mids and the budget price of less than $100, I suggest trying out the Grado.

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