You bought a great cartridge. You mounted it carefully. The overhang is exact. The sound is good, but never quite right. Dynamics are soft. Detail is thin. You check again—and realize the cartridge pins are reversed. Could it be that polarity error is holding everything back?
What to Do
Double-check that each cartridge pin is connected to the correct tonearm lead—left positive, left negative, right positive, right negative. Cartridge bodies are often symmetrical, and it’s easy to reverse phase or swap channels during setup. Use a multimeter to verify continuity if unsure. Confirm channel balance with a mono test track.
Here’s Why That Works
Reversed cartridge wiring causes phase inversion or channel swapping. Phase inversion can cancel center information, thinning bass and hollowing vocals. Channel reversal flips the soundstage and ruins spatial cues. Even subtle polarity errors can blur imaging and skew tonal balance.
Cartridge setup is delicate—but wiring isn’t subtle. Get the phase right, and the music stands up straight.
