Grado Green4 Hi-Fi Cartridge

Grado Green4 Phono Cartridge — Entry-Level Access to Flux-Bridger Technology

The Grado Green4 phono cartridge is the entry point to Grado's Prestige Series, delivering the company's patented flux-bridger moving iron technology in a package designed for first-time buyers and upgraders. Built on decades of cartridge design heritage, it provides a stable and engaging presentation across a wide range of turntable systems. With a 4 mV output, it works directly into any standard moving magnet phono input — no step-up transformer or specialized loading required. The Green4 is the right choice for vinyl listeners who want Grado's signature moving iron sound without flagship pricing.

What Sets the Green4 Apart in the Prestige Lineup

The Green4 uses Grado's patented flux-bridger moving iron design, the same core technology found in the company's higher-tier Prestige and Timbre cartridges. Unlike conventional moving magnet or moving coil designs, the flux-bridger uses a small iron element as the only moving component, achieving extremely low moving mass while maintaining a 4 mV output. The internal signal path is built using ultra-high purity 5N OCC copper, and each cartridge undergoes cryogenic treatment and internal damping to reduce unwanted resonance.

Specifications and Performance Parameters

These parameters reflect the Green4's position as the entry-level Prestige cartridge while maintaining the core technology shared across the series, translating directly to compatibility with standard MM phono stages and broad tonearm support.

• Output: 4 mV @ 5 CMV (45 degrees) — standard moving magnet level for direct phono stage compatibility
• Frequency Response: 10–55,000 Hz — extended top-end range for full-spectrum vinyl reproduction
• Channel Separation: Average 25 dB, 10–30,000 Hz
• Stylus: Bonded elliptical diamond on aluminum cantilever — user-replaceable snap-in assembly
• Tracking Force: 1.6–1.9 grams — compatible with medium-compliance tonearms
• Compliance: 20 µm/mN
• Cartridge Weight: 6 grams
• Input Load: 10k–47k ohms
• Mounting: Standard ½" or P-mount

Who Should Choose the Green4

The Green4 is the right choice for vinyl listeners buying their first quality cartridge or upgrading from a bundled stock cartridge. It suits anyone with a standard moving magnet phono input on their integrated amplifier or standalone phono preamp — no specialized MC phono stage required. The user-replaceable stylus means owners can upgrade to Red4 or Gold4 performance later by swapping the stylus assembly, without sending the cartridge back to the factory. Both standard ½" mount and P-mount versions cover virtually every modern tonearm configuration.

Grado Labs: Four Generations of Brooklyn Cartridge Craftsmanship

Grado Labs has been building phono cartridges and headphones by hand in Brooklyn, New York since 1953. Founded by Joseph Grado, the company has refined its patented flux-bridger moving iron generator system across four generations of the Grado family. Every cartridge is hand-assembled in the same Sunset Park facility where Joseph first began his work over seven decades ago, then tested and voiced before it ships. The Green4 represents the entry point to that lineage — the same core technology used in Grado's flagship cartridges, scaled to an accessible price point.