EMT TMD 015 Cartridge, Mono MC with 15 µm Diamond

The EMT TMD 015 cartridge is a true mono phono cartridge in the classic EMT cartridge housing, tracking modern mono records with a spherical 15 µm diamond.

It's not a stereo system with a mono button switched in front of it. The generator reads only the lateral cut of the groove — anything that plays vertically simply stays out. Anyone who takes a mono collection seriously knows the moment when it suddenly becomes clear how much noise was riding along before.

Why the TMD 015?

EMT has been building pickups since the days when a mistake wasn't a bad evening, it was a failed broadcast. That broadcast heritage sits in the generator, carried over here unchanged. What's new is everything around it: the body is milled as a monoblock from a solid block of magnesium instead of being assembled from parts. That puts stiffness exactly where resonances otherwise love to develop a life of their own — and tracking is precisely about nothing resonating except the diamond.

The 15 µm radius is a deliberate choice: it sits exactly where modern mono pressings and current reissues carry their information. A diamond too large would ride above the modulation, one too small would scrape the groove floor. Here, it fits.

What you gain

First, quiet. Without a vertical channel, a whole layer of noise disappears — dust, groove wear and rumble act mainly vertically. What's left is a sound image that doesn't hang between two speakers but stands as one body in the middle: dense, tangible, with a stability that only really shows what a good mono recording can do.

On top of that comes output. At 1.05 mV at 5 cm/s, the EMT generator is running strong for an MC system, which keeps a comfortably large distance to the phono stage's noise floor.

Who is the TMD 015 for?

For you, if you collect mono reissues and original pressings from the 1960s onward and have an EMT, Ortofon A or SME tonearm that carries 17.5 g.

Straight talk: for stereo records it's the wrong tool — that's what the TSD range of stereo cartridges is for. If your mono records are mostly from the 1950s with their wider grooves, go for the TMD 025 instead. And shellac remains completely off-limits, that's the TND 065's job. A light tonearm with low effective mass is also not a good match for 17.5 g.

Our verdict

The TMD 015 isn't a nostalgia piece, it's a tool for people who understand mono not as a limitation but as a discipline of its own. If you've been tracking your mono pressings with a stereo system and good intentions so far, this is where you hear the difference between compromise and concept. At HD Zürisee in Wädenswil, we'll first check together whether your tonearm and phono stage play along — that saves disappointment.

Technical data

• Diamond: spherical, rounding radius 15 µm (SPH 15 µm)
• Frequency response: 20 – 20,000 Hz (±2 dB); 40 – 12,500 Hz
• Type: MC cartridge, true mono (True Mono)
• Cantilever: Aluminum
• Body: Cartridge, monoblock milled from solid magnesium
• Vertical tracking angle (VTA): 23°
• Recommended tracking force: 2.5 g
• Output voltage: 0.21 mVs/cm (equivalent to 1.05 mV at 5 cm/s)
• Compliance: 12 µm/mN
• Internal resistance: 24 Ohm
• Recommended load impedance: 200 – 300 Ohm
• Weight: 17.5 g
• Connection/mount: EMT standard; optional INT (Ortofon A) or X (SME)
• On request: silver coils as well as 1/2 and 1/4 coil versions

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is an EMT cartridge (Tondose)?

A Tondose is a cartridge in the classic EMT housing that slides directly into the tonearm instead of being screwed on from underneath. Instead of an open cartridge shell, you get a monoblock milled from solid magnesium. Via the INT or X connection variants it also fits Ortofon A and SME tonearms, otherwise the EMT standard applies.

Which records is the TMD 015 designed for?

For modern mono pressings from roughly the 1960s onward and for today's mono reissues. The spherical 15 µm diamond matches exactly the radius these grooves expect, and reads the modulation where it was cut. Older mono records from the 1950s have wider grooves and are better served by the TMD 025.

What does a true mono system offer over the mono button?

A true-mono generator produces no vertical voltage at all, instead of calculating it away afterward. Vertical groove noise, dust crackle and rumble therefore never make it into the signal in the first place. The mono button on an amplifier, by contrast, sums two finished channels including everything they've picked up along the way — the noise is already there by then.

What phono stage does the TMD 015 need?

An MC input with 200 to 300 Ohm load impedance. At 1.05 mV at 5 cm/s, the EMT generator delivers decent output for an MC system, so you don't need extreme gain and you keep a large distance to noise. Step-up transformers work too, as long as the turns ratio matches the internal resistance of 24 Ohm.

Why buy the EMT TMD 015 cartridge at HD Zürisee?

Because a cartridge is more than a purchase: tonearm connection, tracking force, VTA and the right phono stage all need to fit together. Our experienced team knows this chain from years of practice, our technician Mauri mounts it properly, and you can reach us by phone, WhatsApp or email.

Goes well with

The cartridge is just one link in the chain. A matching phono preamp with adjustable MC loading gets the last bit out of the generator, and under Plattenspieler you'll find turntables that suit a 17.5 g system. More cartridges are listed under Tonabnehmer, and if you want to look after your collection, Plattenspieler-Zubehör is the place.