{"product_id":"grado-prestige-me-plus-mono-tonabnehmer","title":"Grado Prestige ME+ Mono Cartridge (MI)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Grado Prestige ME+ is a true mono cartridge: its coils are aligned so they only track lateral groove movement – exactly the movement that carries the music on mono records.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat sounds like a detail, but it's really the whole point. Anything happening vertically in the groove is noise on a mono recording. The ME+ simply doesn't hear it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy the ME+?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSwitching a stereo system to mono helps a little. A true mono system doesn't pick up the noise in the first place. The ME+ also features Grado's four-piece OTL cantilever, oxygen-free copper in the coils, and a highly polished elliptical diamond with a 1-mil radius in a brass bushing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat you hear\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eQuiet. Old mono pressings lose a significant chunk of their surface noise, voices stand firmer and more solid, and the bass fills out. If you have a sizeable mono collection, you'll often hear your records the way they were intended for the first time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWho is the ME+ for?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor anyone with a meaningful mono collection – pre-1958 jazz, early classical, old blues and folk pressings. Honestly: it isn't intended for stereo records, so you'll need either a second cartridge or a second headshell. If you only have three mono discs on the shelf, save your money.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOur verdict\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ME+ is one of the few add-on purchases where the effect is immediate and audible without golden ears. A second cartridge sounds like a luxury – but for a real mono collection, it's simply the right tool.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTechnical Specifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eType: Moving-iron mono cartridge (MM-compatible)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeries: Grado Prestige\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTracking: True mono, lateral modulation only\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrequency response: 10 Hz – 50 kHz\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOutput voltage: 5 mV at 1 kHz (5 cm\/s)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLoad impedance: 47 kOhm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRecommended tracking force: 1.5 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStylus: Elliptical diamond (1 mil), user-replaceable\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMounting: Standard half-inch and P-mount\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeight: 5.5 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eManufacturing: Hand-assembled in Brooklyn, NY\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCan I also play stereo records with the ME+?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe'd advise against it. The ME+ only reproduces lateral groove movement, leaving the vertical information of a stereo groove unused – and the stylus geometry isn't designed for it either. A second headshell or a second tonearm makes sense; switching then takes a minute.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDoes a mono cartridge really bring more than the mono switch on an amplifier?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes, noticeably so. The mono switch sums two channels after the noise has already been picked up. The ME+ never picks up the vertical noise information in the first place. The result is an audibly quieter background and a more stable center, especially with used pressings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy buy the Grado ME+ from HD Zürisee?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause mono playback is a niche where advice matters more than any product description. At HD Zürisee in Wädenswil, we'll work out with you whether a second headshell, a second arm, or a system swap is the more practical route. Just get in touch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eGoes well with\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe right \u003ca href=\"\/en\/collections\/phono-vorverstarker\"\u003ephono preamp\u003c\/a\u003e, more \u003ca href=\"\/en\/collections\/tonabnehmer\"\u003ecartridges\u003c\/a\u003e, and everything for \u003ca href=\"\/en\/collections\/alles-vinyl\"\u003evinyl\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Grado","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53281311424848,"sku":"304155","price":249.0,"currency_code":"CHF","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0932\/3262\/8048\/files\/grado-prestige-me-plus-mono-tonabnehmer-schraegansicht.png?v=1785926993","url":"https:\/\/hdzuerisee.ch\/en\/products\/grado-prestige-me-plus-mono-tonabnehmer","provider":"HD Zürisee AG","version":"1.0","type":"link"}