Goldring Goldring E3
Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
90/100
Build Quality
82/100
Features Usability
91/100
Value for Money
93/100
The Goldring E3 brings vinyl to life with a warm, relaxed core, punchy dynamics and a generously open soundstage. The Ear found it clean, articulate and effortless across genres, while Cheap Audio Man highlighted its lively, engaging balance. Threaded inserts and forgiving system matching complete a standout moving-magnet upgrade.
Pros
Warm, clean and articulate presentation with convincing bass weight, dynamic power and strong soundstage depth.
Lively, punchy and engaging sound with a wider, more open stage than the Ortofon 2M Blue in comparison.
Threaded inserts and parallel body sides make installation and alignment more straightforward; strong value for a complete cartridge.
Cons
Extra bass richness can slightly limit transparency and timing versus more revealing alternatives.
Not as detailed at the top end as the Ortofon 2M Blue.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 90/100
The E3 is described as an enjoyable, broadly capable cartridge with two complementary presentations: warm, relaxed and full-bodied in The Ear's system, and punchy, lively and engaging in Cheap Audio Man's. Reviewers also found strong bass weight, useful dynamic impact and an open spatial presentation, though The Ear heard some added bass richness that slightly reduced transparency.
Overall Sound
91/100
The Ear calls the presentation smooth, relaxed, clean and fulsome, with a classic warm vinyl character that suits budget systems well. Cheap Audio Man instead emphasizes a punchy, lively, sparkly and highly engaging sound; both find it entertaining, although it is not the most transparent or outright vivid option.
Tracking Retrieval
87/100
The Ear found the E3 articulate, with plenty of detail across the audioband and a convincing account of nuanced bass playing. Cheap Audio Man also considers it detailed, while noting it does not retrieve quite as much detail as an Ortofon 2M Blue; neither review reports mistracking or inner-groove problems.
Soundstage Imaging
91/100
The Ear reports excellent soundstage depth on orchestral material, alongside substantial bass. Cheap Audio Man found the stage wider and more open than the Ortofon 2M Blue, supporting a notably spacious presentation at this level.
FEATURES USABILITY PERFORMANCE 91/100
Tonearm compatibility / system fit.
Tonearm Compatibility
91/100
This 3.5mV moving-magnet cartridge works with a standard 47k-ohm MM phono input and is specified for a broad 10-30g effective-mass tonearm range. The Ear specifically praises the ease of setup and its forgiving fit with budget turntables, making it a straightforward upgrade for many conventional systems.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
82/100
The supplied specifications describe a conventional aluminium-cantilever, bonded-elliptical MM design with standard half-inch mounting. The reviews focus on performance rather than construction, so they say little about finish quality, assembly precision or long-term durability.
Value for Money
93/100
At roughly $165 in the cited US pricing, Cheap Audio Man calls the complete cartridge a great price. The Ear likewise describes it as great value, pairing its easy setup and capable all-round performance with a character that flatters rather than exposes the limitations of budget turntables.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
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Forum Mentions
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Specifications
- Colour
- Purple
- Cantilever Type
- Aluminium
- Stylus Type
- Bonded Elliptical
- Stylus Tracking Radius
- 10 µm (0.4 mil)
- Equivalent tip mass
- 0.7 mg
- Frequency Response
- 20 Hz – 20 kHz ± 3 dB
- Frequency Range
- 12 Hz – 25 kHz
- Channel Imbalance
- 1.5 dB max at 1 kHz
- Channel Separation
- 20 dB min at 1 kHz
- Sensitivity
- 3.5 mV ± 3 dB at 5 cm/s lateral
- Static Compliance
- 20 mm/N
- Trackability
- 70 µm
- Vertical Tracking Angle
- 24 °
- Load Resistance
- 47 kΩ
- Load Capacitance
- 100 - 200 pF (150 pF nominal)
- Internal Inductance
- 400 mH
- Internal Resistance
- 470 Ω
- Cartridge Mass
- 6.8 g
- Cartridge Mass (inc. fixings)
- 7.8 g
- Fixing Centre
- 12.7 mm
- Playing Weight
- 1.75 – 2.25 g (2 g nominal)
- Cartridge Height
- 17 mm
- Recommended Tonearm Effective Mass
- 10 – 30 g
Manufacturer's Description — Goldring
Magnetic Duplex Technology™
All cartridges in the range feature Magnetic Duplex Technology™-a 'dual magnet' generator assembly with an identical geometry to that of the original cutting head. This means it can more accurately reproduce the stereo information in the record groove, providing better channel separation and a more involving and musical sound stage.
Expert Adjustment
The E-series cartridges have been designed to allow micro-adjustments to be made during production using a special adjustment screw. This means the cartridge can be safely installed in a typical turntable because the angle that the stylus makes with the record surface has been pre-set. The result is an optimised channel balance with zero degrees of horizontal tracking adjustment required. This ensures a consistent and reassuring performance for the life of the product.
Stylus/Cantilever
Featuring spherical styli with a choice of cantilevers, the E1 and E2 models are ideal as an upgrade to any budget, pre-fitted or obsolete cartridge. The E3 model with its refined super elliptical stylus is a worthwhile upgrade for those wishing to squeeze even more information and detail from the record groove.
The Goldring philosophy is to promote the accurate replication of the original record production, maintaining the creative nuances, musicality and rhythm the artist intended you to hear. With the versatile E Series, this is easy to achieve; each is designed to be simple to fit to the majority of budget to medium priced turntables.
The E3 cartridge, representing the top of the range features the same aluminium cantilever as the E2, but benefits from a superior, bonded, super-elliptical (0.3 x 0.7 mil) stylus. This gives it better high frequency detail retrieval over ordinary elliptical (0.4 x 0.7 mil) or spherical (0.6 mil) types due to its smaller front-to-back radius. The main effect is the reduction of sibilance, especially in high level vocal recordings
"If you’ve got a good mid-priced deck that’s in need of an upgrade to the cartridge, we can’t think of an alternative that’s so capable. Simply, the E3 is a great buy."
"A fantastic and affordable all-rounder."
"A flexible unit that works across a range of music genres"
"A well-balanced performer that works well across a wide range of music."
"If you’ve got a good mid-priced deck that’s in need of an upgrade to the cartridge, we can’t think of an alternative that’s so capable. Simply, the E3 is a great buy."
"... I still feel I’m not expressing how impressed I am with this “budget” cartridge, it is an amazing value for its price point and easily one of the best among other cartridges not only in its price pool, but even some higher ones. Highly, highly recommended bang for your buck. Big sound with a small price."
"It brought out every note with a precision I never imagined a moving magnet could muster."
"A superbly realised cartridge that will work well with the majority of affordable turntables."
"The Goldring E3 is the top of the company's entry-level series and offers a smooth, very balanced sound."
"…it is one of the best budget cartridges, at this price point, currently for sale on the market."
"It produces a classic vinyl sound, warm, relaxed and effortless…"
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Goldring Goldring E3
- Absoulute Audio plus Video — in-store — Aiken, South Carolina, United States (website)
- Holt Hill — online and in-store — Andover, Massachusetts, United States (website)
- Acoustic Technologies — online and in-store — Montréal, Québec, Canada (website)
- Acton Gate Audio — online and in-store — Cymru, United Kingdom (website)
- ALAIN CHOUKROUN — online and in-store — Paris, Île-de-France, France (website)
- All That Audio — in-store — Anaheim, California, United States (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
- Alta Fedelta — online and in-store — Lombardia, Italy (website)
- Altitudo Audio — online and in-store — Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (website)
- American Audio & Video — in-store — Southaven, Mississippi, United States (website)
and 109 more verified dealers