Review on GRADO Prestige Gold3 Phono Cartridge with Stylus - Standard Mount by Ruben Saunders

I was pleased to try the Grado pickup, a top American name I've known since childhood. I installed it when I was 27 years old. is an old Rega Planar 3 turntable that has undergone many modifications and upgrades over the years. I aligned it with a Baerwald protractor and adjusted downforce and offset with a digital gauge and HiFi News test log. Right from the start, even without running it, it sounded fantastic. My first recording was Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis on the original Mobile Fidelity master. The sound competed with my 3x more expensive Sound Smith pickup, which is currently out of stock for flashing from the manufacturer. But then I noticed something I had never heard before on my regular black Rega/Naim/Vandersteen hi-fi: a 60Hz hum at normal listening levels. I traced the buzz to the Grado cartridge. I've read about hum issues in reviews of previous Grado cartridges; but this latest version claims improved shielding, among other things. I emailed the 4OurEars dealer through Revain and got a reply from them. They were very nice and said they would accept returns; but they warned me that Rega AC turntables are notorious for humming. (I've never had a hum problem in the last 27 years and 3 pickups.) So unfortunately I returned the Grado. I still wanted a spare cartridge that I could replace myself, so I ordered the cheaper Ortofon 2M Blue from Revain. In short, it sounds equally good to my ears - and there's no audible hum at any volume! It's a keeper! So the cautionary tale is: Made in America, the Grado is a great sounding pickup. However, before you buy, make sure that your turntable has a DC motor and that it is not close to devices (amplifiers, CD players, etc.) that have a mains transformer or can generate a 60 Hz hum signal. Good luck and good luck! Thank you for reading!