SKU: 70837156985

Grado Timbre Series The Reference 3 Cartridge

Sale price$897.75 Regular price$997.50
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Description

Grado Timbre Series The Reference 3 CartridgeGrado Timbre Series The Reference 3 Cartridge Body: Australian Jarrah Wood Cantileaver: Machined Boron Diamond Tip Output: High 4. 0mV @5 CMV (45) Low 1. 0mV @5 CMV (45) Inductance: High Output 55mH Low Output 6mH Resistance: High Output 660 ohms Low Output 70 ohms Input Load: 10k 47k ohms Cartridge Weight: 10 grams Tracking Force: 1. 6 1. 9 grams Compliance 20m mN Channel Separation: Average 30db 10 30k Hz Controlled Frequency Response: 10 60 KHz Non

Grado Timbre Series The Reference 3 Cartridge

  • Body: Australian Jarrah Wood
  • Cantileaver: Machined Boron / Diamond Tip
  • Output:
    High 4.0mV @5 CMV (45)
    Low  1.0mV @5 CMV (45) 
  • Inductance: 
    High Output 55mH
    Low Output  6mH
  • Resistance:
    High Output 660 ohms
    Low Output  70 ohms

  • Input Load: 10k-47k ohms
  • Cartridge Weight: 10 grams
  • Tracking Force: 1.6-1.9 grams
  • Compliance 20μm/mN
  • Channel Separation: Average 30db - 10-30k Hz
  • Controlled Frequency Response: 10-60 KHz
  • Non-Sensative to Capacitive Load
  • Builds: High Output, Low Output, Mono

‫Into the Woods‬

Achieving fantastic accuracy and control, the Reference3 does everything the Master3 can do - but does it better thanks to specialized intricate processes while being crafted.

Last Stop Before Lineage

Top of the Timbre

While similar to its younger sibling in a few aspects, the Reference3 has a much longer build time since it undergoes extremely unique processes only a few of our cartridges go through. This longer, more intricate practice produces a more colorful and deeper sound. When working in tandem with the special curing process and individual calibrations, we have the best cartridge in the Timbre Series.

Small Necessities.

The Materials

To make the Timbre Series work as a whole, we created a way for Jarrah, diamonds, and a twin magnet system to integrate with our Flux-Bridge™. We modified our four piece OTL cantilever technology to achieve a 5% tip mass reduction over the Prestige Series and use ultra-high purity long crystal (UHPLC) oxygen free copper wire in the coils. The Reference3 uses a specially Grado designed true ellipsoid diamond.

In the Details.

Extreme Precision

Grado has combined newly developed coil winding techniques with decades-old disciplines. A new two-step shielding process brings not only exact unison between the four coils but an unobstructed path for a cleaner signal. The music is allowed to travel undistorted through the coils, greatly reducing mechanical noise while improving tracking. There is an extreme clarity over the full frequency range, with absolutely no stridency or shrillness. Precisely hand tipped with a diamond, a great amount of care go into each cartridge we build.

The Sound of Wood.

Built from Jarrah

After the Reference3 cartridge is crafted, it is then placed inside a Australian Jarrah housing. Jarrah is necessary for the majority of Timbre Series with its ability to produce surgically precise clarity without losing any depth. Through a variation of thermal aging processes, the housing gains the ability to better dampen and control the resonant frequencies. 

With Love.

Hand-Built in Brooklyn

Each Reference3 is hand-built by our team in Brooklyn, as it has been for decades. After a specialized process that brings it to life, they are fine tuned for everything from entry-level turntables up to the highest-end stereo systems, the solid mass of the wood helps keep the Sonata3 steady and producing the Grado signature sound. We started building cartridges on a kitchen table in 1953, and every experience since then has led to the creation of the Reference3.

 

"The arrival of a cured mahogany cartridge identical to the one I already owned found me unprepared for the next vaulting leap in my listening education. Within a week of auditioning the 0.5 mv Statement Reference, I began to believe that both my new and vintage vinyl had received a rite of purification, cleansed and made better than new. It was also as though the tiny hairs in my inner ear had been degunked, and in a stroke my hearing was perfectly clear."

Lang Phipps, Audio Reviewer
Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
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Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
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SKU: 70837156985

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4.4 ★★★★★
Based on 28 reviews
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Sarah
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 4
Cute but run big
Special Size: 7" Inseam with Pockets, Size: X-Large, Color: Flamingo Pink
Color is fantastic. Very naked feeling. Runs big. I’m a size 12/14 and usually wear XL with them sometimes feeling tight. I am pear shaped - 35” waist, 47” hip and these fit but were quite loose in the waist. I might consider sizing down if I wanted to tighter. They would be very a bump-friendly non-maternity option
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Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2026
E
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Eimile/ FrecklesNFantasy
New York, US
★★★★★ 5
Super soft with great support
Size: Small, Color: Light Blue/White, Size: Small, Color: Light Blue/White
Bought the top and the matching leggings for a bachelorette trip. Absolutely love them. It’s so soft, it didn’t bother my incredibly sun burned chest at all, the baby blue with white contrast binding looks exactly like the listing. I am a 32C and got a size Small, so it fits perfectly and provided great support. This is 100% a bang for your buck and I will likely buy it again in the other colors.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2026
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Lyndzie Legg
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
FLATTERING, HIGH QUALITY
Size: Small, Color: Slate Grey/White
Quality item!! I would compare these to CRZ YOGA. They do not stretch, not see through, and feel buttery soft. I have only used them working out in a reformer pilates class in which I did not notice the leggings falling or the bra stretching. I would size down on the bra. I am a postpartum mommy and purchased a medium and I am nursing. It still was a little too big for my liking. So I went with a small on this order and it fit perfectly. The white lining on the bra and leggings I feel bring a flattering look to my waist for those ladies looking that that aspect. They pulled in all the right parts without creating any spill over. It might not be useful for a high impact workout like running or spinning but any weight lifting or Pilates-type classes it would be perfect for! I bought another set I love them so much. I ran them in the washer and hung dry them as I do all my fitness clothing items.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2025
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nicole chiodo
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 4
Pretty Good!
Size: Medium, Color: Flamingo Pink/White
Very comfortable while providing support. Excellent price point. The only thing dropping this to 4 stars is that the straps seem a bit long/loose at the top. Despite this, it still provided great support for my HIT class.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2026
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bloomlaw
Houston, US
★★★★★ 3
Weird fit.
Size: Medium, Color: Flamingo Pink/White
The color and fit is just weird, but it’s so inexpensive that you could argue it’s worth it.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2025

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