Goldring is well known for its precision-engineered phono cartridges, and now the firm has created its first turntable in decades to go with them. Developed in association with an unnamed but "renowned" British hi-fi manufacturer, the Goldring GR3 features the firm's award-winning Goldring E3 moving magnet cartridge, a built-in phono pre-amplifier and a choice of interconnects from its sister brand QED.
It's a good looking thing, but the platter doesn't just look nice. It's made of phenolic resin designed to maximize the flywheel effect in order to deliver consistent rotational speed with low wow and flutter in order to ensure accuracy from your records. And there's a choice of phono-to-phono or phono-to-3.5mm interconnects to suit a wide range of setups.
Goldring GR3: key features and pricing
The star here is that GR3 moving magnet cartridge, which has won six consecutive best buy awards from our colleagues at What Hi-Fi?. Here, it's pre-fitted and pre-adjusted for the tonearm. A lightweight aluminum cantilever promises accurate tracking, precise detail and low distortion, and the dual magnet generator is designed to deliver better channel separation for a more musical soundstage.
The inclusion of a built-in phono pre-amp is surprising but welcome: it means you can connect the Goldring turntable to active options among the best stereo speakers as well as audio amps.
The Goldring GR3 is available now in the UK and in Europe, and it'll be available in the US from December 2024. The UK price is £699, and the US price will be $999, which certainly isn't cheap, but is pretty reasonable among the best turntables. If the unit as a whole lives up to the heritage of the cartridge, we could be onto a mid-range winner.
