{"product_id":"emt-tmd-025-tondose","title":"EMT TMD 025 Cartridge, Mono MC with 25 µm Diamond","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe EMT TMD 025 cartridge is a true mono phono cartridge in the EMT cartridge housing, whose spherical 25 µm diamond is designed for the wider grooves of older mono records.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTen micrometers sound like nothing. In a record groove, they're the difference between \"sort of tracking\" and \"properly seated.\" That's exactly why this cartridge exists alongside its 15 µm sibling — not as a shelf variant, but as an answer to a different cutting generation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy the TMD 025?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMono pressings from the 1950s and early 1960s were cut with wider grooves than what comes off the press today. A fine, modern radius dives too deep into a groove like that. Down there, two things collect: dirt that no brush has ever reached, and the wear of six decades of playback history with styli that nobody today would wish on anyone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 25 µm diamond simply engages higher up, on a flank that doesn't carry this history. That's not sonic cosmetics, it's geometry. The rest of the cartridge stays identical to the TMD 015: the same EMT generator from broadcast heritage, the same monoblock milled from solid magnesium, the same true mono conversion without a vertical channel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat you get\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbove all, a quieter foundation. Where there used to be a background noise you took for \"that's just how an old record sounds,\" surprisingly little often remains. Voices and horns stand closer together, piano attacks lose the slight blur that no equalizer ever managed to remove.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd you get headroom: 1.05 mV at 5 cm\/s is plenty for an MC system, which benefits the quiet passages of historical recordings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWho is the TMD 025 for?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor you, if your mono collection is mainly from the 1950s and early 1960s, or comes second-hand and has been played accordingly hard. A prerequisite is a tonearm with EMT, Ortofon A or SME mount that comfortably carries 17.5 g.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHonestly: for mostly modern mono reissues it would be the wrong choice — there, the TMD 015 reads more information out of the groove. It's not made for stereo records either way, and for shellac its radius is far too small; that's the TND 065's territory. If you only have three mono records in the cabinet, you'd invest the money better in the phono stage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eOur verdict\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA specialist you only appreciate once you know the alternative. For archives, estates and grown collections, the larger radius isn't a detail, it's the actual reason the records become enjoyable again. At HD Zürisee in Wädenswil, we clarify with you upfront how your collection is made up — the radius question usually answers itself from that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eTechnical data\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDiamond:\u003c\/strong\u003e spherical, rounding radius 25 µm (SPH 25 µm)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrequency response:\u003c\/strong\u003e 20 – 18,000 Hz (±2 dB); 40 – 12,500 Hz\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e MC cartridge, true mono (True Mono)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCantilever:\u003c\/strong\u003e Aluminum\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBody:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cartridge, monoblock milled from solid magnesium\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVertical tracking angle (VTA):\u003c\/strong\u003e 23°\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRecommended tracking force:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2.5 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOutput voltage:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.21 mVs\/cm (equivalent to 1.05 mV at 5 cm\/s)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompliance:\u003c\/strong\u003e 12 µm\/mN\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInternal resistance:\u003c\/strong\u003e 24 Ohm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRecommended load impedance:\u003c\/strong\u003e 200 – 300 Ohm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 17.5 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConnection\/mount:\u003c\/strong\u003e EMT standard; optional INT (Ortofon A) or X (SME)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOn request:\u003c\/strong\u003e silver coils as well as 1\/2 and 1\/4 coil versions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow does the TMD 025 differ from the TMD 015?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the diamond's rounding radius: 25 µm instead of 15 µm. The larger radius sits higher in the groove and thus matches the wider grooves of older mono pressings. Otherwise both cartridges are identical in construction — same generator, same magnesium monoblock, same electrical specs, same 2.5 g tracking force.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhich records benefit from 25 µm?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMono LPs from the 1950s and early 1960s, as well as pressings from the transition period between shellac and vinyl. Their grooves were cut wider than is common today. A modern 15 µm diamond dives too deep there and reads exactly the zone of the groove that is most worn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDoes a larger diamond protect my old records?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt tracks a different area of the groove flank than a smaller radius. On well-played older stock, wear usually sits low and central — exactly where a fine radius operates. The 25 µm diamond avoids that zone and therefore often delivers the quieter result.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow do I connect the TMD 025?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMechanically via the cartridge's standard EMT connection, or alternatively in the INT variant for Ortofon A tonearms or X for the SME standard. Electrically it needs an MC input with 200 to 300 Ohm load impedance; internal resistance is 24 Ohm, recommended tracking force is 2.5 g and weight is 17.5 g.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy buy the EMT TMD 025 cartridge at HD Zürisee?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause choosing the right rounding radius takes experience, not brochure knowledge. We've been looking after collections since the early days of our shop and work out together with you which radius suits your holdings. Our technician handles installation and setup — reach us by phone, WhatsApp or email.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eGoes well with\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOld pressings reward care on both ends: under \u003ca href=\"\/en\/collections\/plattenspieler-zubehor\"\u003ePlattenspieler-Zubehör\u003c\/a\u003e you'll find what keeps the groove clean, under \u003ca href=\"\/en\/collections\/phono-vorverstarker\"\u003ePhono-Vorverstärker\u003c\/a\u003e the right MC matching. For an overview of everything related to records, see \u003ca href=\"\/en\/collections\/alles-vinyl\"\u003eAlles Vinyl\u003c\/a\u003e, more cartridges are listed under \u003ca href=\"\/en\/collections\/tonabnehmer\"\u003eTonabnehmer\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"EMT","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53037008355664,"sku":null,"price":1670.0,"currency_code":"CHF","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0932\/3262\/8048\/files\/emt-tmd-025-tondose-schraegansicht.jpg?v=1785884263","url":"https:\/\/hdzuerisee.ch\/en\/products\/emt-tmd-025-tondose","provider":"HD Zürisee AG","version":"1.0","type":"link"}