Recently I have been going through my record collection with the newly released Garrott Brothers MM and MC cartridges, and what a revelation this has been.

At Tivoli Hi-Fi, we have been selling and recommending Garrott Brothers cartridges, repairs, and diamond retip services since the mid-70s. We were in fact the first retailer to do so, as appointed by John and Brian Garrott at the time. We were there when the first of their Garrott Brothers cartridges was launched – the Garrott P-77 MM.

Garrott Brothers quickly rose to fame among audiophiles around the world by offering the Dr Weinz Parabolic Diamond as a retip and upgrade to just about any worthwhile cartridge. The biggest names at the time were Shure, Ortofon, Stanton, Empire, and Audio-Technica; later came the Japanese moving coils, with brands such as Koetsu, Supex, Kiseki, and many more. These were all brands that benefitted from the Garrott Brothers treatment and some of these brands are still manufacturing superb cartridges today.

After the tragic deaths of our friends John and Brian Garrott, Audio Dynamics Pty Ltd carried on the business and to this day continues to offer Garrott Brothers’ products and services.

The Audition

My trials with the three newly released Garrott Brothers cartridges, the Optim Series 3 Jade MM ($799.00), the Optim Series 3 Ruby/FGS MM ($1999.00), and the P-89 Series 3 MC ($7999.00), have presented me with very exciting results.

The Optim Series 3 Jade cartridge is the latest of the Garrott MM dynamic coil cartridges. It benefits from the most up-to-date British engineering for the generator and Garrott Brothers expertise in the tuning and finishing touches. I found the cartridge to provide, just as other Garrott Brothers cartridges, musical realism and presence so often lacking in other brands. The improvement over the Optim Series 2 Super is extended dynamic range, deep full-bodied bass, and a more solid and musically-convincing midrange, completed by a smooth and brittleness-free treble performance. Click here to order through Tivoli Hi-Fi.

The Optim Series 3 Ruby/FGS cartridge takes the Optim concept to the ultimate level with the inclusion of a solid ruby cantilever and FGS diamond with its special profile. This, coupled with the careful balancing of the moving parts, results in the superior tracking of even the most significantly worn record grooves, like the one in my ‘Buddy Holly and the Crickets’ record. I was taken aback by the powerful and yet highly detailed reproduction, which, in the affordable range of cartridges, I have never experienced before. This level of performance has only ever been approached by the most expensive moving coil cartridges. Click here to order through Tivoli Hi-Fi.

The P-89 Series 3 MC cartridge represents the culmination of many years of research, testing, and examination of the factors which influence the sonic outcome of a cartridge. The sonic realism and drama, coupled with detail, space, and soundstage, with the complete absence of background noise, is just amazing and must be experienced to understand. To order, please email: logistics@audiodynamics.com.au

This kind of superior fidelity has previously only been available to those prepared to deal with the issues of arm/cartridge compatibility, minute setup detail, and hum and noise minimisation. The Garrott Brothers cartridges have always been designed with optimal performance and fuss-free installation in mind, and these new models are no exception.

Garrott Brothers cartridges available:

K-Series cartridges are priced from $239.00 to $469.00

P-77i cartridge is priced at $699.00

Optim Series cartridges are priced from $799.00 to $1999.00

P-89 Series 3 MC cartridge is priced at $7999.00

Garrott Brothers Repairs and Retipping

Phono cartridges are mechanical instruments that are subject to wear and ageing. Many of the cartridges we see coming in for repairs or upgrade/retip services are in a poor state of health. It is false economy to spend valuable listening time using a poorly performing cartridge which may be chewing up your irreplaceable record collection. Diamond wear, suspension fatigue, and the hardening or softening of vital compliance control components can all significantly affect the performance of your cartridge.

It is not always easy to identify problems, and audible deterioration can be a very slow process. At Garrott Brothers, the experts will quickly identify any issues and provide an upgrade and/or repair path recommendation.

https://garrottbrothers.com/repairs-retipping