Headshell

Headshell

Headshell

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A headshell is a head piece designed to be attached to the end of a turntable's or record player's tonearm, which holds the cartridge.[1] Standard catridges are secured to the headshell by a couple of 2.5 mm bolts spaced 1/2" apart. Older, non-metric cartridges used #2 (3/32") bolts.[2]

Some headshells are designed to allow variable weights to be attached. For example, the H4-S Stanton headshell comes with 2g and 4g screw-in weights. Extra weight can be useful to prevent skipping if the DJ is scratching the record.

H-4 Bayonet Mount

Most headshells use a standard H-4 Bayonet Mount, which will fit all S shape tonearms. The bayonet has a standard barrel whose dimensions are 8 mm diameter and 12 mm length, with its four pins connected to the four colour-coded head-shell lead wires.

Headshell lead wires colours

The colour standards for the contact connections are as follows:[3]

  • White: Left channel cartridge positive.
  • Blue: Left channel cartridge negative.
  • Red: Right channel cartridge positive.
  • Green: Right channel cartridge negative.

References

  1. [1]
    The World of DJs and the Turntable Culture. Hal Leonard Corporation. 2003. pp. 61–. ISBN 978-0-634-05833-2.
  2. [2]
    "Choosing the right cartridge for your turntable". audio-technica. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
  3. [3]
    The World of DJs and the Turntable Culture. Hal Leonard Corporation. 2003. pp. 61–. ISBN 978-0-634-05833-2.
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