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How To Choose An Astatic Turntable Cartridge

The Astatic Corporation, an Ohio-based audio electronics manufacturing company, began operations during the 1930s. The company’s first audio products include military-issued record player pickups or phono cartridges produced during the Second World War.

The company produces turntable cartridges, also known as phonograph pickups. When the company incorporated in the 1930s, it issued a brand line of crystal and ceramic phonograph pickups that produce a high-fidelity sound. During the early decades of the company, it was a key producer of record player pickups as well as replacement needles, styluses, and other parts.

The company produces moving magnetic pickups, including a variable mount model. It also has a universal option that fits most tone-arm mounts. Both pickups also have a quartz or gemstone tip and a tube-shaped aluminum alloy stylus or needle.

The cartridge of an Astatic turntable is used to transform signals into music or sound. This component picks up the raw electromagnetic signal when the needle connects with the surface of the vinyl record.

To be able to convert signals into sound, the needle or stylus and several other parts have to work in tandem with the cartridge. The brand of the needle could be conical, elliptical, or hyper elliptical. Other pickup parts also include the hardware and adapter for the mount.

As designed by the company, Astatic turntable phono cartridge models have a standard dimension for its needle and other parts to facilitate replacement. Before replacing Astatic turntable cartridge parts, be sure to check the following details:

• Sound: The quality of the audio sound emitted by the Astatic turntable indicates whether a pickup part, such as the needle or stylus, needs replacement. Over time, the needle could wear down. When this happens, as the needle hits the surface grove, there could be no sound at all due to the failure of the pickup to convert the signal. The needle hitting the grove could also create an unpleasant scratchy tone.
• Mount: The company continues to produce magnetic cartridge options that should be attached to a tonearm mount. Selecting an Astatic pickup depends on the type of mount, which could either be a half-inch or P-mount.
• Cartridge model: Astatic produces several pickup models, including a universal option that can be used for different types of tonearm mounts. There are also models that can be paired with either a half-inch or P-mount. The frequency produced by these pickups ranges from 20Hz to 20,000Hz or even more.