Headshell

The headshell is the small mount at the very end of the tonearm that the cartridge bolts or clips into, usually secured with two or four small screws that also allow for some forward and backward adjustment during alignment.

Some tonearms have a fixed, non-removable headshell built into the arm itself, while others use a detachable headshell that can be unplugged and swapped, making it easier to own multiple cartridges mounted in separate headshells and switch between them without redoing a full alignment each time. Headshell weight also factors into total effective tonearm mass, which needs to be compatible with a given cartridge's compliance for good tracking.

When installing a cartridge, use the headshell's slotted mounting holes along with a proper alignment protractor to set overhang correctly rather than just centering the cartridge by eye. Check that mounting hardware is snug but not overtightened, since stripped threads on such small screws are a common frustration. A frequent mistake beginners make is skipping alignment entirely after mounting a new cartridge in the headshell, which can leave tracking noticeably off even with an otherwise good cartridge.