This product can only be shipped to U.S. addresses.
Retip: $8000
The Crown Jewels
The flagship Grado Epoch3 produces a dimensional sound field giving it a truly believable presentation, and combines sapphire, gold, diamond, and cocobolo wood to produce the finest hand-built cartridge ever.
Features
- Hand-Built in Brooklyn
- Cocobolo Wooden Housing
- 24k Gold Coil
- Sapphire Cantilever
- Diamond Tipped
- Twin Magnet System
- Patented Flux-Bridge™
- Four Coil Unison
- Swiss Screw Machined
The Summit of Sound
The Epoch3 brings to life an exceptional reproduction of vocals and instruments, with superlative tonal balance, dynamics, imaging, and realism. The Epoch3's reproduction of low frequency pitch information is second-to-none, while the bass dynamics are solid and authoritative. Harmonics are extremely faithful giving the recording the correct color, and the mid-range is plush with resolution
The Materials
A major step forward in phono cartridge design, the sapphire, gold, diamond, and cocobolo work in harmony to bring this cartridge to life. The specially designed diamond stylus, for the first time in a Grado, is mounted on a sapphire cantilever that connects to the stylus generating system. The Epoch3 features a unique generating system that hasthe lowest effective moving mass of any cartridge, tracking accurately on vinyl. Grado's patented Flux-Bridger generator design creates a superior balance throughout the full frequency spectrum with superb resolution and clarity, which produces an overall truer picture of the music
Extreme Precision
Grado has combined newly developed coil winding techniques with decades-old disciplines. All of the internal magnetic circuit parts are Swiss screw machined or molded metal, which have tolerances on the order of the best Swiss-made watches. A new four-step shielding process brings not only exact unison between the four coils but an unobstructed path for the cleanest signal in any phono cartridge. This creates precise balance between channels and accurate stereo imaging. The Epoch3 is wound with the finest properly sized and annealed 24-karat solid gold wire, which is the ultimate conductor for the transmission of the music from your record.
Built from Cocobolo
The flagship Grado cartridge is nestled inside a cocobolo housing, adding solid mass and a bold yet revealing signature sound. Cocobolo, known for fine instruments and those chess sets that look too nice to touch, is some of the most beautiful and tonally pleasing woods Grado has ever used. This specially selected species of cocobolo goes through a variation of thermal aging processes and enhances its ability to better dampen and control the resonant frequencies throughout the cartridge. Its denseness and grain is a primary reason why it produces such a unique sound.
Hand-Built in Brooklyn
Each Epoch3 built sees final assembly by John Grado himself on his workbench, fine tuning them for the best turntable and hi-fi setups. Every experience in Grado's history has led to the creation of the Lineage Series. The Epoch3represents the craftsmanship and unwavering dedication to sound that has been Grado's main focus since 1953.
If you have the money and are looking for an amazing cartridge for your record collection, the Grado Epoch is the one.
Audiophiles should not miss the chance to audition the contender for the title of Best cartridge money can buy.
The Epoch did things I hadn't heard any cartridge do...put on an LP of the right music, sit down...and you're done. It's remarkable.
Technical Specifications
| Body | Honduras Cocobolo Wood |
|---|---|
| Cantilever | Sapphire / Elliptical Diamond |
| Output | 1.0mV @5 CMV (45) |
| Controlled Frequency Response | 5-75 KHZ |
| Channel Separation | Average 35db - 10-30k Hz |
| Input Load | 10k-47k ohms |
| Inductance | 8mH |
| Resistance | 95 ohms |
| Pickup Weight | 12 grams |
| Tracking Force | 1.6-1.9 grams |
| Compliance | 20μm/mN |
Non-Sensitive to Capacitive Load
