GRADO Timbre REFERENCE 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 Reference 4: Technology

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

The Reference 4 features a nude elliptical diamond stylus combined with a very high-end custom boron cantilever. The profile is described here as Shibata in its groove-contact behavior, ensuring precise tracking and excellent groove engagement, while the boron cantilever—known for its extreme lightness and responsiveness—delivers speed, stability, and a natural, controlled musical presentation. This combination provides clarity and dynamic performance across the entire frequency spectrum.

Thanks to Moving Iron technology and a fixed-coil architecture, the Reference 4 delivers a stable and consistent signal due to the very low mass of the moving assembly. This carefully matched stylus-cantilever system 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 Reference 4: Body

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

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

Grado Timbre Reference 4: Sound Performance

The Grado Reference 4 is the highest-performing model in the Timbre range. It delivers a near-perfect balance of resolution, control, and musicality. The result of decades of cartridge design experience, it offers outstanding performance across a wide range of systems while preserving the tonal integrity characteristic of Grado cartridges.

Its sonic presentation is defined by exceptional clarity, refinement, and control. Detail retrieval is highly precise while maintaining smooth and well-balanced treble. The midrange has natural presence and texture, and the bass is reproduced with authority and definition. Complex passages are handled with ease, maintaining excellent separation and spatial stability. The overall balance remains cohesive and natural, allowing instruments to emerge with realism and fluidity.

A true reference-level high-output cartridge.

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.