Founded in 1906, Goldring is possibly the oldest extant manufacturer of phono cartridges in the world. Although they were established in Berlin, they moved to the UK in 1933. Today, Goldring manufactures two lines of moving-magnet cartridges—the entry-level E series and the step-up 1000 series—plus six moving-coil units. They’re part of the Armour Home organization, whose other products include Q Acoustics speakers and QED cables, among others.
I’ve already reviewed at least one moving-magnet cartridge from five major producers (Audio-Technica, Grado, MoFi, Nagaoka, and Ortofon); now I can add Goldring to that list. Over the years, I’ve also owned or reviewed cartridges from brands that are now footnotes to hi-fi history, such as ADC, Empire, Shure, and Stanton. Currently, I have two cartridges for my Music Hall Stealth turntable: the Ortofon 2M Blue it came with and a Sumiko Oyster Moonstone. On its own, the 2M Blue retails for $189 (all prices in USD). The retail price of the Sumiko Moonstone is $349.
Description
With a retail price of $299, the E4 splits the difference between these two very fine cartridges. It’s the top model in Goldring’s E-series lineup and features a 0.3 × 0.7-mil elliptical nude-diamond stylus. The “nude” designation means the diamond is mounted directly to the cantilever, rather than in a carrier that attaches to the cantilever. Manufacturing these styli is tricky and requires great skill; thus, most nude-mounted styli are fairly expensive. The E4’s cantilever is a hollow tube made of aluminum. The hollow tube reduces tip mass and allows the E4 to respond more rapidly to modulations of the groove.
The E4 has a specified frequency response of 20–20,000Hz, and the balance between channels is listed as 1.5dB at 1kHz. Its impedance is a standard (for moving-magnet cartridges) 47k ohms, and the cartridge wants to see a capacitance of between 100 and 200pF. The recommended stylus force is 1.75gm, and the E4 itself weighs 6.9gm.
Goldring makes mounting the E4 pretty simple, as there are no nuts to deal with. The mounting bolts fit into threaded holes on the cartridge body. Included in the box are the two mounting bolts and a small hex key to tighten them. Very neat; very easy to do the initial installation.
Setup
First, I connected the wires of the headshell to the connection posts on the back of the E4. The posts are color-coded, so it’s hard to make a mistake. Then, I used the included bolts to mount the E4 to the headshell, leaving them a bit loose so I could adjust the cartridge’s position fairly easily, but not so loose that the cartridge wouldn’t stay in place. I used a cartridge-mounting calibration system to adjust the cartridge’s position within the headshell such that the stylus was at the right spot to make optimum contact with the groove and to ensure the E4’s sides were parallel to the groove.
I attached the headshell to the arm of my Music Hall Stealth turntable, balanced the arm, and set the stylus and antiskating forces to the recommended 1.75gm; the owner’s manual suggests 2gm, but Goldring’s media representative Nick Renshaw told me that was an error and that 1.75gm is correct. I checked my work and started to break in the cantilever by playing a record. The cantilever works in a fitting that’s usually some form of rubber, and the fitting needs playing time to loosen up. That’s why I always play some records without listening to them for 10 to 20 hours.
The first time I listened, some of the disc’s inner grooves showed slight distortion, which often means something is not right. I removed the headshell from the turntable and found I had not satisfactorily set the overhang, so I fine-tuned the E4’s placement. This took some effort, but yielded the desired result—the distortion was gone.
Listening
One of my favorite 20th-century American orchestral compositions is Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring, and my favorite version is an early digital recording by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Louis Lane (Telarc DG-10078). The piece contains many short solos for various instruments. I thought the woodwinds in particular were reproduced beautifully by the E4. They sounded perfectly natural, with the right timbre throughout. The strings were portrayed elegantly during the quiet passages, but the E4 did a fine job with the much louder string parts as well. The E4 responded nicely to crescendos. The infamous Telarc bass drum was not as overpowering as I’ve heard from some other cartridges, which is a good thing; it means the bass drum was reproduced at a proper level. One momentary scratch on the disc, however, came through loud and clear. With that one exception, the E4’s performance was outstanding.
I wanted to hear how deeply the E4 could dig on bass, so I chose “101 Eastbound” from Fourplay’s remastered eponymous debut album (Evosound EVLP-025). The tune has a lot of resonant passages played on a five-string bass, and the E4 excelled at reproducing them—it seemed that I could hear the lowest strings actually vibrating. The long piano solo sounded perfect, with great tone, attack, and release. And the guitarist’s command of his instrument shone through, as his dynamic plucking of the strings possessed excellent tone. I ended up listening to the cut several times just so I could try to pick up every nuance. Very, very satisfying.
In the mid-1980s, vocalist Diane Schuur seemed to appear out of nowhere. Possessed of a remarkable and powerful alto voice, she became a big hit in the jazz world. Her third album, Schuur Thing (GRP-A-1022), contains a fabulous version of the Paul Williams song “Love Dance.” Two of her accompanists are Dave Grusin on keyboards and Stan Getz on tenor sax, along with synthesizers, bass, drums/percussion, and a full string orchestra. As producer, Grusin used lots of echo, which creates a haunting mood. With the E4, the long phrases of the strings stretched across the rear of the soundstage; the keyboards and Getz’s sax were positioned next to Schuur in the front. Getz’s sax solo is exemplary in tone and technique; its warmth perfectly fits the longing the lyrics express. Grusin’s keyboards showed great attack, while his lingering on the keys provided a sensuous backing to Schuur. Overall, the E4 put on a stellar performance.
Mel Tormé has been one of my favorite male vocalists for years. In 1978, he recorded an album with drumming great Buddy Rich called Together Again—For the First Time (Gryphon G-903). I picked one of my favorite tracks, a jazz waltz called “Bluesette,” for this part of the review. At the beginning, it’s just Tormé, a very versatile electric bass player, and Rich riffing on the cymbals in the background. Tormé is dead-center in front, with the bass off to the right and Rich’s drums well in the back. As the tune progresses, the Buddy Rich Big Band enters behind Tormé but in front of Rich. Tormé’s tone is rich and mellow, but with a jazz lilt, and the Goldring cartridge portrayed it beautifully. The E4 delivered the short trumpet solo crisply, with excellent detail. The rest of the band simply swung. Rich’s solo shows why he’s considered one of the great jazz drummers of all time. Played on the Stealth ’table and E4 cartridge, it was hot and fast, with great rendition of the snap of the drum heads. I was very pleased with how the E4 offered up this song.
Maurice White, founder and producer of Earth, Wind and Fire, arranged the group’s members with almost military precision, usually in four rows front to back. For example, on “September” (from The Best of Earth, Wind and Fire, Vol. 1, ARC / Columbia FC 35647), the lead singers, lead guitar, and bass are out front. The backing singers are further back, then the rhythm section, and finally, the brass. The remarkable depth of the soundstage was beautifully presented by the E4. EWF was also known for the precision of their playing; the trumpet blasts during the song could not have been tighter or played more precisely. Again, the E4 was right on top of things. I don’t think I’ve heard any better reproduction of the song.
While I really like Rickie Lee Jones, her diction is not always the easiest to understand, as she slurs many of her words. That’s always been a problem for me on “Danny’s All-Star Joint” from her eponymous debut album (Warner Bros. BSK 3296). However, with the E4, I understood more of them than ever before. The electric piano, drums, and horn section were reproduced with excellent snap and with a natural timbre. Her voice also sounded very natural (in a Rickie Lee Jones way), with just a little sibilance, due, I believe, to how she was using the mike. In all, the E4 did a very fine job.
To see how the E4 would do with some intense rock, I selected Rick Derringer’s “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo” from his 1973 album All American Boy (Blue Sky KZ32481). The soundstage is not very deep on this recording. Derringer, his blazing guitar, and the drums dominate, while a bit behind are three female backing singers. During the solo, Derringer’s guitar moved back and forth from left to right across the moderate soundstage, an interesting effect that was very pronounced. The E4 did a marvelous job with the intricate bass line, which Derringer also plays. This song is built on distortion with heavy fuzz, and the E4 did a fine job in reproducing the incredible speed and dexterity of the solo. Every note was distinct and sounded absolutely right to me.
Comparison: Goldring E4 vs. Ortofon 2M Blue
When I first played “Bali Run” from the 30th anniversary re-release of Fourplay (Evolution EVLP-025) with the Goldring in my Music Hall Stealth, I was puzzled because the bass-guitar intro, which on the CD is quite prominent, was reproduced at a very low level. I then re-installed my Ortofon 2M Blue to see whether it was the cartridge or the recording. To my relief, I now know it’s the recording.
The Goldring did a fine job of reproducing all the instruments. The various keyboards sounded detailed, especially on high notes. The drums, which are played vigorously, had great punch. The cymbals shimmered appropriately, while the guitar solo was perfectly reproduced with excellent attacks. And the E4 is definitely not bass-shy; after the tune gets going, the bass guitar had fabulous heft—actually a bit more than it had with the 2M Blue.
When I switched back to the 2M Blue, my reactions were almost identical. One aspect that stood out was how the Blue was quieter on the noisy parts of the song (and just my luck: my favorite tune on the album has a lot of surface noise that even my Spin-Clean record washer can’t eliminate). I thought the high-pitched synthesized strings were silkier on the Blue, but not to any great degree. And as I mentioned, bass was not as full on the Blue as it was on the E4.
Conclusion
As mentioned, I currently own a Sumiko Oyster Moonstone and an Ortofon 2M Blue. The Goldring E4 has become the third member of that group. It is a glorious-sounding cartridge, as much at home with rock as it is with classical or jazz. It offers great precision of reproduction, with a very pleasant overall tone, great highs, and thundering lows. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
. . . Thom Moon
thom@soundstagenetwork.com
Associated Equipment
- Speakers: Acoustic Energy Radiance 3
- Power amplifier: NAD C 275BEE
- Preamplifier: Apt Corporation Holman
- Analog source: Music Hall Stealth turntable with Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge
- Interconnects: Manufacturer-supplied for turntable; Morrow Audio MA1 analog from preamp to power amplifier
- Speaker cables: Audtek 14-gauge OFC cable terminated in banana plugs
Goldring E4 moving-magnet phono cartridge
Price: $299
Warranty: One year
Goldring
Armour Home Electronics
Woodside 2
Dunmow Road
Bishop’s Stortford,
Hertsfordshire CM23 5RG UK
Website: www.goldringusa.com
