Grado Platinum 3 Mi Cartridge

Grado Platinum 3 cartridge

The Grado Platinum 3 marks the entry point into Grado's renowned Wood series and is aimed at vinyl listeners seeking a high-quality, meticulously constructed cartridge with a natural tonal balance. The combination of carefully selected materials, precise manufacturing, and proven moving-iron technology makes it a compelling choice for ambitious analog systems.

A key component of the Platinum 3 is its thermally optimized housing made of jarrah wood . This Australian hardwood is approximately 25% harder than oak and offers highly controlled damping characteristics. Unwanted resonances are effectively reduced, resulting in clean, stable, and tonally balanced operation from the cartridge.

Inside, Grado relies on its proven Moving Iron (MI) design . This construction combines the high everyday usability of classic MM systems with the fine resolution of high-quality, high-end cartridges. The integrated UHPLC coils made of long-crystal, oxygen-free copper ensure low-loss signal transmission and contribute to precise, dynamic sound reproduction.

The 4-part cantilever has been further developed compared to the Prestige series. The approximately 10% reduction in mass at the tip significantly improves impulse response. Subtle dynamic details are rendered more precisely, without the sound becoming analytical or artificial.

The Platinum 3 uses a precisely ground elliptical stylus for its diamond cartridge, enabling clean groove tracking and balanced detail resolution. Vocals sound present and authentic, while instruments retain their natural timbre and spatial structure.

Difference to the Grado Sonata 3

In direct comparison to the Grado Sonata 3, the Platinum 3 also uses the same wooden housing, identical moving-iron technology, and the same four-piece cantilever. The crucial difference lies in the stylus profile:

• Grado Platinum 3: elliptical diamond
• Grado Sonata 3: nude elliptical diamond

The Sonata 3 therefore offers even finer resolution and slightly more precise detail. However, the Platinum 3 remains the more attractive choice for listeners seeking the characteristic Grado sound at a particularly well-balanced price-performance ratio.

High output, low output or mono

The Grado Platinum 3 is available in several versions and can be flexibly integrated into different phono setups:

• High Output Version (4.8 mV) – ideal for MM phono stages
• Low Output Version (1.0 mV) – suitable for MC phono inputs
• Mono version – for specialized mono systems

Technical data

• Model: Grado Platinum 3
• Type: Moving Iron Pickup
• Weight: 9.0 g
• Recommended tracking force: 1.6 – 1.9 g
• Case: Jarrah wood
• Needle holder: 4-part
• Needle point: elliptical
• Coils: UHPLC long-crystalline, oxygen-free copper
• Output voltage:
  • 1.0 mV (Low Output)
  • 4.8 mV (High Output)
• Frequency response: 10 – 60,000 Hz
• Needle compliance: 20 µm/mN
• Internal impedance:
  • 70 O (Low Output)
  • 660 O (High Output)
• Termination impedance: 10,000 Ω – 47 kΩ

For discerning newcomers to the Grado Wood series

The Grado Platinum 3 impresses with its well-thought-out design, high compatibility, and balanced sound. Anyone looking for a musical, precisely tuned cartridge with a high-quality wooden housing, and who consciously avoids excessive gimmicks, will find here a very serious entry point into the world of the Grado Wood series.