Grado Timbre Platinum3 MI Phono Cartridge (Low Output)

The Grado Platinum3 is a Moving Iron phono cartridge from the Timbre series that, in this Low Output version, delivers 1.0 mV on a low-noise phono stage.

Fewer windings, thicker wire, shorter signal path: that's the idea behind the Low Output winding. The body and mechanics are identical to the High Output version, the Jarrah wood comes from Australia, and it's hand-built in Brooklyn.

Why the Platinum3 Low Output?

With the Moving Iron principle in a flux-bridger construction, only a tiny iron piece moves within the magnetic field – the coil stays fixed. The Low Output winding drastically lowers internal resistance and inductance: 70 Ω instead of 660 Ω, 6 mH instead of 55 mH. This makes the system electrically quieter and even more insensitive to whatever happens after the stylus.

Mechanically, everything stays the same: aluminium cantilever in the four-piece OTL construction with around ten percent less tip mass than the Prestige series, a Grado-own bare elliptical diamond and coils made of ultra-pure UHPLC copper.

What you hear

The same warm, colourful Grado character as in the High Output version – on a truly low-noise phono stage, a touch airier and quieter between the notes. On an underpowered preamp, you'll instead mostly hear its noise floor.

Who is the Platinum3 Low Output for?

For you, if your phono stage offers around 55 to 60 dB of gain and can be terminated at 10 to 47 kΩ – so for high-quality MM/MC stages with adjustable termination. Plain talk: on the phono input of an ordinary integrated amplifier, the level stays too low and you'll be turning the volume up to the max. Then the High Output version with 4.0 mV is the right choice.

Our verdict

The Low Output version isn't an upgrade, but an adaptation to your electronics. If you have the right phono stage, you get the Platinum3 at its quietest. If you don't, you're buying trouble instead of resolution – and honestly, nobody needs that.

Technical specifications

• Type: Moving Iron phono cartridge (MI), flux-bridger principle
• Series: Grado Timbre, level 2 of 5 (above Opus3, below Sonata3)
• Version: Low 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: 1.0 mV at 5 cm/s
• Internal resistance: 70 Ω
• Inductance: 6 mH
• Suitable phono input: Phono stage with MC-capable gain (approx. 55–60 dB), but MM termination
• Recommended load impedance: 10–47 kΩ (do not terminate at 100 Ω)
• 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

Does the Platinum3 Low Output belong on an MC input?

To the gain of an MC input, yes; to its termination, no. The Platinum3 Low Output needs around 55 to 60 dB of gain, but wants to be terminated between 10 and 47 kΩ, like an MM system. An MC input hard-wired to 100 Ω will rob it of level and treble.

What changes electrically compared to the High Output version?

The winding. Low Output means fewer windings of thicker wire: 1.0 mV instead of 4.0 mV, 70 Ω instead of 660 Ω internal resistance and 6 mH instead of 55 mH inductance. Mechanics, cantilever, diamond, tracking force and compliance are identical in both versions.

Is Low Output even worth it sonically?

Only with the right phono stage. The shorter signal path and lower inductance can sound minimally more open and quieter. On a phono stage with no headroom, however, the advantage immediately flips into its opposite: too little level, audible noise. When in doubt, go for the High Output version.

Do I need to worry about my tonearm's cable capacitance?

No. With 6 mH inductance, the Platinum3 Low Output is practically insensitive to capacitive load – unlike classic MM systems, which want to be tuned to 100 to 400 pF. So you can focus entirely on gain and load resistance.

Why buy the Grado Platinum3 Low Output at HD Zürisee?

Because with Low Output, the phono stage decides between success and frustration. As an authorised Grado dealer in Wädenswil, HD Zürisee checks in advance whether your preamp has the right gain and termination, and fits the cartridge precisely. A call, an email or WhatsApp is all it takes.

Goes well with

The decisive component is with our phono preamps. For alignment aids and accessories, check our turntable accessories, and for the full overview, our All Vinyl section.