Grado Prestige Blue3 MM Cartridge

The Red3 are hand-selected cartridges from Blue3 production runs that meet higher test specifications. Approximately 15% of the run exhibits these specs and become a Red3.

Both the Blue3 and Red3 use a four-piece OTL cantilever that has a Grado specific diamond mounted on a brass bushing. 

Grado’s OTL, or optimized transmission line, technology provides an ideal transfer of signal from the surface of the LP to the generator of the system. This technology rejects unwanted resonances and lowers distortion preserving the fundamental and harmonic frequencies of the music. This also helps keep noise generated by the motor system in the cartridge to a minimum.

Grado’s OTL stylus/cantilever design makes records sound quieter, improves the height, width, and depth of the soundstage, and present more detail than previously obtainable.

 The Prestige cartridges are hand-assembled by Grado’s team in Brooklyn, where some builders have over 25 years of experience. The coil winding techniques, using ultra high purity copper wire which were honed during the development of the Lineage Series, have let the electrical circuits achieve unison between the four coils in each phono cartridge. This allows for a precise balance between channels and accurate stereo imaging.

As in all Grado phono cartridges, the Red3 and Blue3 are powered by a twin magnet system that optimizes the balance between stereo channels. All internal magnetic circuit parts are held to extremely high tolerances creating the desired stereo imaging. Grado’s patented Flux-Bridger design allows the cartridges to have one of the lowest effective moving mass generating systems while creating an excellent balance throughout the full frequency range.

The development of the Epoch in the Lineage Series gave Grado an in-depth experience with using an outer housing as a damping device. This led to the creation of a process that de-stresses the chassis and dissipates unwanted energy and resonant frequencies.

Specifications

Frequency response: 10-50,000 Hz
Principal: MI
Input load: 47 kOhm
Output at 1 kHz 5 CM/sec: 5mV
Recommended tracking force: 1.5 g
Stylus type: E
Stylus replacement: U
Mounting: S/P
Weight: 5.5 g