Cartridge
16-pin edge interface carries album data, identity, power, and insertion detection.
Independent sound. Physical form.Cartridge Audio / In development
A physical music format for the digital age
The albumreturns.
Collectible album cartridges. An offline player in development. Music owned, held, and heard as intended.
No feeds. No ads. No noise.Just sound.
01 The proposition
Music you can
hold.
Cartridge Audio restores the album as a tangible cultural object—without surrendering the fidelity, portability, and resilience of digital playback.
It is not nostalgia. It is an alternative to rented libraries, disposable feeds, and engineered obsolescence.
Offline by designAlbum-firstArtist-forwardBuilt to endure
02 The player
Real object.
Not an app.
A player built around wired headphones, physical controls, and the album in your hand. Explore the exterior, choose a cartridge finish, or look inside with X-ray.
CA—01 / Interactive prototypeChoose device + cartridge finishes independently
CA—01 / Design study80 × 175 mm chassis · 60 × 100 × 8 mm cartridge
Physical album slotGold-finger cartridge interface
Tactile by defaultDedicated playback and volume controls
Wired fidelity3.5 mm output and dedicated DAC path
Long-play powerUSB-C rechargeable architecture
Concept-stage prototype. Dimensions, materials, finishes, and technical targets remain under engineering refinement.
03 Under the skin
Built to be
understood.
Anti-obsolescence begins with an architecture that can be serviced, documented, and revised without replacing the format.
The proposed layout separates cartridge data, playback control, audio conversion, amplification, and power. The goal: a clearer signal path and room for serviceable components.
Decode
A dedicated controller validates the release and maintains deterministic, offline playback state.
Convert
A low-noise digital-to-analog stage preserves the record through a separated analog power domain.
Drive
A dedicated amplifier supplies the wired headphone output. Power and headphone compatibility are under validation.
16-pinGround-first cartridge interface
32 / 384Bit / kHz DAC target
45 WUSB-C PD charging target
7,500mAh Li-ion pouch target
Reference architecture, component selections, and capacity targets remain subject to electrical, thermal, and compliance validation.
Approx. 60 mmApprox. 8 mm04 The cartridge
An album.
Not a file.
A record to own, not just access. A durable album cartridge with its own artwork, a place in your collection, and a number in its manufacturing edition.
- 01 Durable solid-state storage
- 02 Numbered manufacturing editions
- 03 Lossless, high-resolution artist masters
- 04 Hidden extras. Artist-made easter eggs.
Planned format features. Audio resolution depends on the supplied master; edition sizes and bonus content will be defined for each release.
05 How it works
Four motions.
One album.
The intended listening experience. Hardware and releases are still in development.
Choose
Buy a cartridge album directly from an artist or label.
Insert
The player recognizes the release and loads its track information.
Listen
Press play. The full album begins offline, in its intended sequence.
Keep
No account to maintain. No access to renew. The album remains yours.
06 For artists & listeners
Own the album.
Back the artist.
Then / The radio & the record
Discovery was
the beginning.
A song on the radio could send you to the record store. Physical records were more than souvenirs: album sales helped fund the recorded-music business, giving discovery a commercial next step and fans something to keep.
Now / The stream & the object
Stream to discover.
Collect to connect.
Streaming has taken on much of that everyday discovery role. Radio still matters, and streaming is a business in its own right. But finding an artist can lead to something deeper than adding another title to a library.
That is where Cartridge Audio belongs: a physical release to buy, hold, and return to. For artists and labels, another way to sell the work. For listeners, a numbered place in its history.
Know your number.
A stated, limited manufacturing run makes scarcity tangible. Your cartridge’s edition number tells you where it belongs in that run—not just what album it plays.
Historical context: RIAA format history · Streaming & discovery
Own the album
A durable physical release that stays yours—without a subscription, login, cloud, or disappearing license.
Hear the sequence
Full-length records, played offline in the artist’s intended order—with tactile controls when you want to change tracks.
Fund the artist
A format designed to make the album valuable again, with collectible editions and a more direct artist-to-listener relationship.
07 A third path
Ritual without fragility.
Digital without disposability.
Swipe the table to compare all three formats.
| Experience | Streaming | Vinyl | Cartridge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Own the physical release | No | Yes | Planned |
| Pocketable playback | Yes | No | Planned |
| Listen offline | With downloads¹ | Yes | By design |
| Physical artwork | No | Yes | Planned |
| Numbered editions | No | Some releases | Planned |
¹ Offline downloads depend on the service and subscription. Cartridge features are design intentions, not shipping specifications.
08 The founding circle
Stand close.
Hear it first.
Prototype milestones. First artist releases. The next chapter of physical music.
Mailing list / Coming soonSignup is opening soon.
Explore the current prototypeConcept in active development. No orders or reservations are being taken.We’re preparing the founding circle. Email registration is not available yet; check back here for updates.