Audio-Technica AT-OC9/III

The AT-OC9/III is a dual moving coil cartridge from Audio-Technica's celebrated OC9 Series, built around a nude-mounted elliptical stylus seated on a low-profile solid boron cantilever. This construction minimizes effective tip mass while preserving excellent tracing accuracy, and the cartridge's rigid VC-mold body ensures stability under demanding tracking conditions. PCOCC (Pure Copper by Ohno Continuous Casting) lead wire is used throughout the dual coil design, virtually eliminating transverse crystal barriers that can impede signal transmission.

With an output voltage of 0.4 mV and a recommended minimum load impedance of 100 ohms, the AT-OC9/III requires a dedicated MC phono stage or step-up transformer. Frequency response extends to 50,000 Hz with 30 dB of channel separation at 1 kHz, giving it one of the widest bandwidths in the OC9 lineup.

Positioned as a Reference-tier model, the AT-OC9/III offers a distinctly different tonal signature from the OC9X boron-cantilever range, prized by listeners who favor the smooth, natural presentation of a nude elliptical stylus while still benefiting from the series' advanced coil and cantilever engineering.