If the Goldring Eroica HX Moving Coil Cartridge offers the kind of performance for the money that made me open the wallet for the Goldring E3 that we just reviewed, this might be a phono cartridge to consider going forward.
Goldring doesn’t get the same attention from the audio press like Ortofon, Sumiko, or Grado Labs — but it definitely makes phono cartridges that are just as good, and even better value in some cases.
At $899 USD, the Goldring Eroica HX faces some stiff competition from the Ortofon 2M Black, Hana SL, and Dynavector 10×5 MKII cartridges — but we suspect it will be deliver excellent performance.
The latest member of its moving coil (MC) cartridge family, the Eroica HX, joins the award-winning LX model in the Eroica range (‘Eroica’ translates as ‘Heroic’ in Italian). This high output, high-performance cartridge makes upgrading from a moving magnet cartridge to a moving-coil model straightforward.
The demanding nature of moving coil designs often prevents a clear upgrade path for vinyl enthusiasts. With the Eroica HX, turntable owners can enjoy the greatest gains in performance of an MC cartridge without the hassle of a system-wide upheaval – this cartridge delivers a stunning moving coil performance from a moving magnet input.
Arriving at a price comparable to that of a good moving magnet cartridge, the Eroica HX is designed to work straight from the box, and to slot into your existing system. Simply install it in place of your old moving magnet cartridge, and enjoy improved dynamics, enhanced stereo imaging and controlled, distortion-free high frequencies immediately, with no additional equipment or any system adjustments required.
Key features at a glance:
- New, pure-iron cross-armature design for correct impendence matching
- Ultra-fine, enamelled-copper windings for higher output and low crosstalk
- Equipped with Gyger II diamond stylus that can trace frequencies as high as 50kHz without distortion
- Housing made from lightweight Pocan® composite material, chosen for its anti-coloration properties
The Eroica HX manages to combine performance with unheard-of ease of use thanks to Goldring’s engineering know-how. By using numerous ultra-fine enamelled-copper windings – so fine they literally float – Eroica HX has output sufficient to work with moving magnet phono inputs without compromising the low crosstalk that moving coil designs are renown for.
Specifications
- Frequency Response 20 Hz – 20 kHz ± 3 dB
- Frequency Range 10 Hz – 50 kHz
- Channel Balance within 1 dB @ 1 kHz
- Channel Separation better than 25 dB @ 1 kHz
- Sensitivity 2.5 mV ± 1 dB, 1 kHz @ 5 cm/sec
- Static Compliance 25 mm/N
- Trackability 85 um (@ 315 Hz)
- Equivalent tip mass 0.4 mg
- Vertical Tracking Angle 22 °
- Stylus Radius Gyger II
- Stylus Type Non-Replaceable (re-tip service available see website)
- Load Resistance 47 kΩ
- Load Capacitance 100 – 500 pF
- Internal Inductance 0.13 mH
- Internal Resistance 35 Ω
- Cartridge Mass 5.2 g
- Cartridge Mass (inc. fixings) 6.6 g
- Fixing Centre 0.5 ” (12.7 mm)
- Playing Weight 1.5 – 2.0 g (1.75 g nom.)
For more information: goldringusa.com
