Grado Timbre Platinum3 MI Phono Cartridge (High Output)

The Grado Platinum3 is a Moving Iron phono cartridge from the Timbre series that, in this High Output version, delivers 4.0 mV and therefore fits any ordinary MM phono input.

It's the first step up from the Opus3, with a body made of Australian Jarrah wood, hand-built in Brooklyn. If you've always thought of wood on a cartridge as mere decoration, feel free to reconsider.

Why the Platinum3?

Grado works on the Moving Iron principle with a flux-bridger construction: it's not the coil that moves, but a tiny iron piece within the magnetic field. This keeps the moving mass small and the inductance low – which is where the open, effortless Grado sound comes from.

The cantilever is aluminium in Grado's four-piece OTL construction; compared to the Prestige series, tip mass is reduced by around ten percent. Tracking is handled by a Grado-own bare elliptical diamond, and the coils are wound with ultra-pure UHPLC copper. The Jarrah body distributes mass evenly and settles resonances.

What you hear

Warm, full-bodied mids with noticeably more calm and depth layering than the Opus3. Voices stand tangibly in the room, brass stays clean instead of harsh. An all-rounder that takes rock just as seriously as a jazz trio.

Who is the Platinum3 High Output for?

For you, if your amplifier or phono stage has a classic MM input – 4.0 mV is exactly the level these inputs were built for. Plain talk: on an entry-level turntable with a wobbly plastic tonearm, the advantage over a Prestige system fizzles out. In that case, you're better off putting the money into the turntable first.

Our verdict

The Platinum3 is the sensible entry ticket into the wood-bodied world: Timbre character, good-natured compliance, uncomplicated connection. The High Output version is the variant that simply works in the vast majority of systems – no discussion about gain reserves needed.

Technical specifications

• Type: Moving Iron phono cartridge (MI), flux-bridger principle
• Series: Grado Timbre, level 2 of 5 (above Opus3, below Sonata3)
• Version: High Output
• Body: Australian Jarrah wood
• Cantilever: Aluminium, four-piece OTL construction, approx. 10% lower tip mass than Prestige
• Stylus profile: Grado-own bare elliptical diamond
• Output voltage: 4.0 mV at 5 cm/s
• Internal resistance: 660 Ω
• Inductance: 55 mH
• Suitable phono input: MM (Moving Magnet), approx. 40–45 dB gain
• Recommended load impedance: 10–47 kΩ
• Load capacitance: Uncritical, the system is capacitance-insensitive
• Frequency response: 10–60,000 Hz
• Channel separation: average 30 dB (10–30 kHz)
• Compliance: 20 µm/mN
• Recommended tracking force: 1.6–1.9 g
• Weight: 9 g
• Coil wire: UHPLC copper (ultra-pure, long-crystal, oxygen-free)
• Stylus: Not user-replaceable, Grado offers a retip/exchange service for the Timbre series
• Manufacturing: Hand-built in Brooklyn, New York

Frequently asked questions

Which phono input does the Platinum3 High Output belong to?

To a perfectly normal MM input. With 4.0 mV output voltage and 660 Ω internal resistance, the Platinum3 behaves like a moving-magnet system: 40 to 45 dB of gain is enough, and it's terminated between 10 and 47 kΩ. You can ignore cable capacitance – it doesn't affect the sound.

What's the difference between the High Output and Low Output versions?

Level, internal resistance and the required phono stage. High Output delivers 4.0 mV at 660 Ω and 55 mH, Low Output 1.0 mV at 70 Ω and 6 mH. The recommended load impedance stays at 10 to 47 kΩ for both – but the Low Output version requires around 55 to 60 dB of gain.

Where does the Platinum3 rank in the Timbre series?

At level two of five: above the Opus3, below Sonata3, Master3 and Reference3. Platinum3 and Sonata3 share an aluminium cantilever and elliptical diamond; from Master3 upwards, Grado switches to machine-crafted boron with a five-piece OTL construction. All Timbre models share the Jarrah body.

Can I replace the Platinum3's stylus myself?

No. Unlike the Prestige series, no separately available replacement stylus exists for the Timbre models. If the diamond is worn, it's handled through Grado's retip or exchange service. With careful alignment and regularly cleaned records, though, a diamond like this lasts a very long time.

Why buy the Grado Platinum3 at HD Zürisee?

Because a cartridge only performs with correct setup – tracking force, anti-skate, overhang, azimuth. HD Zürisee in Wädenswil is an authorised Grado dealer, aligns the Platinum3 to your tonearm and tells you honestly whether your turntable is ready for it. Call us or write to us.

Goes well with

A turntable that can keep up can be found under turntables; the right amplification is with our phono preamps. For a cross-comparison, it's worth checking out the other phono cartridges.