Philips GP390 Ceramic cartridge NOS 1970s

[Audioflyer]

This is a interesting Ceramic cartridge that I was told about from one of my old school teachers.

Curiosity got the better of me and so I brought a NOS 1970's Philips GP390 Ceramic Cartridge for £37.50.

Very little information on the web but what I can find was this was the pinnacle of ceramic phone cartridges.

I've added a few photos.







Well how does it sound!

Well it sound very good fast and detail this is not what I‘ve been lead to believe about Ceramic cartridges

Sound wise it very neutral detailed and dynamic with no sibilance like a good MC.
I especial like the absence of record surface noise, vocal are so natural and drum kits sound just right.

Bass is a little lean but what is there is very clean and focused,
Hopfully the bass will be sorted with a modified MM phonostage that I have planned.

It track like a mountain goat and I could not hear any mistracking at 1.7g

A bit about the cartridge technical spec:

It has a none removable stylus that’s bonded to the body it also is a has a low output that suitable to feed a MM phonostage.

Type: Philips GP-390 HIFI Cartridge
Concept: Ceramic
Capacitance: 1.2 nF
Impedance: 1.5 K Ohm, DC
Load: 47K Ohm
Sensitivity (1 kHz): 1mV/cm/s 5cm/sec: 5mV
Output: 8 mV
Frequency range: 20Hz to 20 KHz
Channel separation: 20 dB
Channel balance: within 2 dB
Compliance: 12*10-6 cm dyne
VTF: 1.5 to 3.0 g
Cantilever: Aluminium tube
Stylus: Spherical diamond, bonded, 0.6 mil (15 µm)
Vertical tracking angle: 15º
Moving mass: 1.4 mg
Net weight: 5g

I had an issue with hum but may have found the problem.
This is to to with my arm wiring as it is unshielded and design to work with a balances phonostage.

It’s hard to believe this is a ceramic cartridge.

Sharif