This single turntable cartridge costs almost as much as a Kia Picanto – but it'll certainly sound better

Audio-Technica AT-MCD1 — (Image credit: Audio-Technica)

Quick Summary

Audio-Technica has announced its most accomplished cartridge yet, with a lab-grown onepiece cantilever and stylus.

This is about getting the utmost quality out of your vinyl, but the price means it's for serious audiophiles only.

High-end audio has a certain tendency to command some eye-watering prices and that's true of the new turntable cartridge from Audio-Technica. It'll set you back £9,999 / €11,000.

Okay, so It's not quite as much as a Kia Picanto (in 2026), but it is a lot of money – especially if you think the definition of high-end audio is a set of AirPods Pro.

Back in the world of the audiophile, the new Audio-Technica AT-MCD1 is a veritable bargain compared to the £22,000 Clearaudio Jubilee MC cartridge.

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The aim of this new Audio-Technica cartridge is to deliver the best quality from your vinyl, thanks to the onepiece 0.22mm square diamond cantilever and Shibata stylus.

They allow, says Audio-Technica, the AT-MCD1 to transmit the groove's energy with minimal losses, so you're getting everything you can out of your records. That leads to "precisely focused" vocals and "dense and controlled" low frequencies.

The Shibata stylus has a R2.7 x r0.08 mil curve radius to better fit the groove and get even more subtle detail out and transform that into more detailed music. It's a synthetic diamond, with Audio-Technica saying it has exceptional uniformity and high reliability – in some cases exceeding natural diamond.

There's a titanium housing continuing the high-end delivery while keeping the mass down and reducing vibration thanks to its rigidity, while gold pins and ultra-pure copper coils ensure the electrical signals arrive at your amplifier with minimal loss.

As you might expect from a high-end cartridge, it comes engraved with a serial number, presented in a solid cherry wood case.

Audio-Technica say that this is "one of the finest phono cartridges ever produced", surpassing the 60th anniversary AT-MC2022 limited edition cartridge. Talking about availability, you can't just order this from Amazon, instead you're invited to enquire directly with the brand.

However, if you would rather get a Kia Picanto, you can organise a test drive online.

Chris has been writing about consumer tech for over 15 years. Formerly the Editor-in-Chief of Pocket-lint, he's covered just about every product launched, witnessed the birth of Android, the evolution of 5G, and the drive towards electric cars. You name it and Chris has written about it, driven it or reviewed it. Now working as a freelance technology expert, Chris' experience sees him covering all aspects of smartphones, smart homes and anything else connected. Chris has been published in titles as diverse as Computer Active and Autocar, and regularly appears on BBC News, BBC Radio, Sky, Monocle and Times Radio. He was once even on The Apprentice... but we don't talk about that.