Headshell Lead Material
Headshell Lead Material identifies the conductor in the short wires joining the cartridge pins to the headshell’s connections for the arm wiring.
It describes neither the headshell body nor the internal arm wiring or external cable. Gold-plated clips on copper leads do not make the conductors gold; insulation is their covering. Labels such as 6N describe copper purity, while PCOCC describes how copper is made. Neither names a different metal.
Headshell Lead Material — Tonearm
Use the leads supplied with the actual arm, including an arm fitted to a turntable. An optional replacement set may use different conductors. If internal wires run directly to the cartridge clips, there is no separate headshell lead set.
For replacements, check lead length and clip fit at both the cartridge and headshell, following the lead and equipment makers’ instructions. Material alone establishes neither compatibility nor better sound.
Sources
- LW 6N: copper conductors and terminal plating — Ortofon
- AT6101: PCOCC copper — Audio-Technica
- LH-10000: headshell body and supplied lead wires — Ortofon
- Tonearm technology: continuous wiring — Kuzma
- Cartridge-to-headshell lead wire manual — Audio-Technica