GRADO Timbre Master 4 cartridge

The Timbre Series from American manufacturer Grado is designed to reveal the tonal character and texture of a recording. Each model is built around a wooden body and high-performance internal components, offering the perfect balance between precision and musicality for a presentation that is both detailed and expressive.

Grado Timbre Master 4: Technology

The Grado Master 4 is based on Joseph Grado’s patented Moving Iron (MI) principle. The cartridges in the Timbre Series demonstrate that an alternative approach can deliver excellent resolution and musicality while maintaining a comfortable output level.

The Master 4 is equipped with a nude elliptical diamond stylus mounted on a custom high-end boron cantilever. The nude elliptical profile ensures effective groove contact and precise tracking, while the boron cantilever, renowned for its light weight and responsiveness, guarantees speed, stability, and a natural, controlled musical presentation. This combination provides clarity and dynamics across the entire frequency range.

Thanks to its Moving Iron technology, while retaining a fixed-coil structure, the Master 4 delivers a stable and consistent signal due to the very low mass of its moving assembly. This carefully matched stylus-cantilever combination is complemented by ultra-pure 6N OCC copper coils, selected for their conductivity and consistency.

Each cartridge undergoes cryogenic treatment and internal damping to reduce unwanted resonances and preserve signal integrity.

Grado Timbre Master 4: Body

The Grado Master 4 belongs to Grado Labs’ Timbre Series. Its body is carved from a solid block of American Osage Orange wood. This wood has been carefully selected and optimized to deliver a distinctive sonic signature while maintaining the control and consistency characteristic of the series.

American Osage Orange was chosen for its ability to control resonance and contribute to tonal balance. The redesigned body also improves cantilever visibility during installation, allowing for more precise alignment and ensuring compatibility with a wide range of tonearms.

Grado Timbre Master 4: Sound Performance

The Grado Master 4 delivers a more ambitious, refined, and natural presentation than the Grado Sonata 4. The midrange is undoubtedly its strongest asset. Vocals are exceptionally lifelike, with remarkable texture and realism. Strings, woodwinds, brass instruments, and voices are reproduced with outstanding authenticity.

This superb midrange is complemented by smooth and refined treble that remains free from harshness while offering impressive nuance and detail. The bass is generous, rich, and full-bodied, contributing to the cartridge’s highly analog and occasionally vintage character.

The soundstage is well-layered, stable, and deep, creating a holographic sense of space while maintaining excellent instrument separation. As with all Grado cartridges, listening remains highly analog and completely fatigue-free.

The Grado Master 4 is intended for music lovers who appreciate warm, slightly flattering, and deeply musical sound reproduction.

Note: Grado MI cartridges may produce a slight hum ("Grado hum") with certain turntables or motors, although this is not systematic. Before purchasing, it is recommended to verify compatibility with your turntable.