What Are Phono Cartridges? It is the electro-mechanical small component set up on any turntable’s tonearm. The record’s performance is wholly dependent upon the capabilities of the Phono cartridge. Cartridge Mount: A cartridge mount is used to mount cartridges on the turntable’s tonearm correctly. Types of Stylus: You will find two stylus types in the market. Spherical Elliptical We have listed some Pros and Cons of spherical and Elliptical style phono cartridges. Spherical Pros Less expensive. A popular choice of a needle. Have less drag. Better for scratching. Cons Some Higher record wear. Less responsive high frequency. Elliptical Pros High-frequency response. Less record wear. Cons More expensive. Less popular. Harder to find replacements. Not suitable for scratching.