The quality of the information provided by the cartridge is a critical determinant of how faithfully any audio system will reproduce the recorded sound. The cantilever must vibrate in exact sympathy with the rapid movements of the tip as it traces the audio signal, thereby moving the magnet attached at the other end. As the magnet moves, its magnetic field is distributed between the conductors.
Magnetic energy flows through the center of the copper coils and produces an electrical signal.
The amplifier, in turn, drives the speakers. Because the cantilever is located at such a critical juncture in the signal chain, it has a dramatic effect on the quality of sound reproduction. The lower the mass of the cantilever the better able it is to accurately duplicate the sound pattern written on the walls of the record groove. The greater the stylus mass, the more likely it is that inertia will cause it to skip over signal information as it oscillates rapidly, tracing the signal pattern while the groove walls speed past. This is particularly critical in the high-frequency range, where audio modulations are the smallest and most concentrated, and stylus tip movement is consequently the most rapid.