Glossary · Cartridges
Cantilever
The thin arm carrying the stylus to the generator.
The cantilever is the tiny beam — aluminum, boron, or exotic materials — that transmits stylus motion to the cartridge’s generator. Its stiffness and mass shape the sound; a bent cantilever is a common cause of a suddenly sick-sounding cartridge.
Terms on the same stage
Cartridge
The transducer that turns groove wiggles into a signal.
Moving Magnet (MM)
A cartridge with a moving magnet and a replaceable stylus.
Moving Coil (MC)
A low-output cartridge prized for detail; needs an MC stage.
Moving Iron (MI)
A hybrid generator — MM-like output, MC-like low mass.
Stylus Profile
The tip shape — conical, elliptical, microline, Shibata.
Compliance
How springy the cantilever suspension is.
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