High-end MC cartridge with boron cantilever and samarium-cobalt magnet, duralumin and ebony body, red Urushi lacquer.
The Umami Red cantilever is made of boron, a material with higher specific stiffness than aluminium. It passes the movement of the Microline diamond to the generator with less distortion along the way, across a frequency response of 10 Hz to 50 kHz.
The generator uses a samarium-cobalt magnet, a rare earth that holds a stronger field than Alnico for the same volume. Coil impedance drops to 6 ohms for an output of 0.4 mV, to be loaded from 60 ohms. Channel separation reaches 30 dB at 1 kHz and channel balance stays within 0.5 dB.
The body combines a CNC-machined duralumin A7075 chassis with an ebony wood section. The two materials resonate at different frequencies, so each damps what the other lets through. The whole cartridge weighs 10.5 grams.
The finish is a glossy red Urushi lacquer, applied using the traditional Japanese technique. Beyond its looks, the lacquer layer adds surface damping to the chassis. The main parts come from the Excel Sound workshops, where each cartridge is assembled by hand.
Data sheet
Specific References
DualCS 618Q quartz-stabilized direct-drive turntable: automatic tonearm lift and stop, dual-gimbal tonearm, Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge, and heavy cast-aluminum platter. Tracking error within ±0.07%.
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