Cartridges are made in two types; Moving Magnet (MM) and Moving Coil (MC).

Moving Magnet cartridges are the cheapest of the two types. They are usually designed with a detatchable stylus, which makes stylus replacement much easier. They are higher output and also correspond to the most commonly found input on amplifiers. Only more expensive amps tend to have a MC input. MM cartridges are capable of extremely good results, especially when fitted properly in a decent turntable. Expect to pay between £20 to £150 for a Moving Magnet Cartridge.

Moving Coil cartridges are even lower output and require and additional stage of amplification. They are almost always solid bodied cartridges and this improves rigidity and as a result; sound quality. When the stylus wears out you either buy another cartridge or trade the old one in against a new one. Moving Coil cartridges are capable of the very best sound quality but are not cheap and can run into many thousands. Cheap models exist but they are often less good than a decent MM.

Here are a selection of some of the very best cartridges.