Cartridges over £500
Ortofon SPU range
The SPU series of cartridges have evolved from the original version introduced in 1958, over the years refinements to the body material (now a wood fibre encased in resin) and detail changes to the construction have subtly evolved this classic design. Designed to be used in tonearms with removable headshells (such as classic SME designs amongst many others) these cartridges can produce a solidity and scale of sound with tremendous texture and tonal accuracy which is unmatched almost anywhere else.
The range starts with the Classic GM (pictured above), which features a nude spherical diamond and an output of 0.2mV, with the Classic GM E differing due to its nude elliptical diamond. The next model up, the Synergy is available in two versions, GM fitting and the rarer A fitting, which is much shorter in body length. The Synergy has a higher output of 0.5mV and a lower stylus tip mass which means a lower tracking force can be used resulting in improved tracking capability (hardly a weak point on any of the SPU in practice). The top of the range Royal GM has an output of 0.2mV and a nude replicant 100 stylus.
Ortofon SPU Classic GM mkII: £650.00
Ortofon SPU Classic GM E mkII: £750.00
Ortofon SPU Synergy GM: £1,250.00
Ortofon SPU Synergy A: £1,250
Ortofon SPU Royal GM mkII: £1,590
A range of Mono SPU cartridges are also available, please contact us for more details.
The Spirit is a special limited edition version of the SPU cartridge, originally intended to be only available in Japan in celebration of the 50 years that 'Mr SPU' (Mr Robert Gudmandsen, whose signature adorns the cartridge body) spent working at Ortofon. This cartridge uses hard to source 8N pure copper wire coils and an elliptical diamond and is already considered by many to be one of the best SPUs ever made. We have managed to secure an extremely limited numbers of these cartridges, of which just 500 will ever be made.
We have just sold out of these cartridges, but hopefully have a small number on their way, please email us if you wish to know when they arrive.
Ortofon SPU Spirit MC cartridge: £999.99
Audio Note IQ3
The IQ3 is a design manufactured by Goldring to Audio Note’s specification which includes a titanium cantilever and an AN type 2 diamond (both the same as used on the Io MC cartridge).
As you’d expect from Audio Note it is a very dynamic performer and builds upon the
classic Goldring 1000 series strengths of a weighty and involving performance but
with much greater levels of energy, resolution and realism. It has treble speed that
is very reminiscent of a really good MC cartridge, with the scale and ease of amplification
of a MM -
It’s also a doddle to fit thanks to the inclusion of captive nuts and the familiar squared Goldring body which makes alignment very straightforward.
Audio Note IQ3 cartridge £POA at manufacturers request
Audio Note IQ3 stylus £POA at manufacturers request
Lyra Dorian
The Dorian is Lyra’s entry level model but you wouldn’t know from looking at it, it’s quite beautifully constructed. Its sound is vibrant and fast, with great detail retrieval thanks to the MicroRidge line contact stylus and boron cantilever. It outputs 0.6mV so will work into any MC (moving coil) phono input.
Lyra Dorian MC cartridge: £649.00
Dynavector D17D3
The D17D3 Karat is an MC cartridge that has an exceptionally short (1.7mm!) cantilever
made from solid diamond. Thanks to this its resonance is in the region of 100kHz
meaning that the rubber damping as used in most cartridges can be dispensed with,
in fact rubber pieces are only used to aid seating the cantilever onto the pole piece
itself. We believe it is this and the Micro-
Dynavector D17D3 cartridge: £749
Dynavector D17D3 cartridge exchange: £599 (plus return of old D17 cartridge)
Music Maker 3: £725
The press have certainly latched on to this unlikely looking hi end bargain, and for good reason too. It uses the moving iron principle (but still plugs into any MM input) and whilst loosely based on Grado underpinnings it is the work of one man, Len Gregory (aka the Cartridge Man) who heavily modifies it. In comparison with many other designs it seem to make them sound as if they’re trying too hard, not to say it isn’t an exciting listen, not in the slightest, more that it lacks the resonance's that give some other designs a sense of added pep and brilliance, which ultimately reveals itself as sounding forced once lived with in the long term. Tonality is where it scores its biggest kills, sounding consistent from top to bottom with a richness that simply sounds natural.
Ortofon Cadenza range
The Cadenza series replaces the very successful Kontrapunkt family of cartridges
which offered excellent sound at a reasonable price. Ortofon claims that they have
improved upon the performance of the previous range by implementing cobalt-
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The Cadenza range of cartridges have a substantial sound that is dynamic, insightful
and involving to listen to. They are truly wide bandwidth designs with superb low
frequency resolution and as you go up through the range the levels of top end resolution
and refinement increase. These are my favourite mid priced MC cartridges because
they’re such good all-
Lyra Delos
The Delos is the replacement for the excellent Argo i and we have started to receive
the first examples at the end of 2009. This cartridge is part of a new 5th generation
of Lyra designs and the manufacturers claim the advancements include a “new body
structure and pre-
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We always thought it wouldn’t happen, after years of being heavily pro moving magnet
cartridges, Rega launched their own Moving Coil design. Called the Apheta, this isn’t
simply another me too product, and represents a 4 year long rethink of the way an
MC cartridge should be designed. It’s especially radical as it uses minimal damping
of the moving parts and dispenses with the tie-
The resulting sound is almost as exciting as the design is radical, thanks to the minimal damping the speed and immediacy are the first things you notice. It’s a very involving cartridge to listen to, yet it doesn’t accentuate surface noise and is also remarkably well balanced for a cartridge with such obvious strengths. The low frequencies are a little lighter than some of its competitors, but again what’s there is fast and well resolved. It’s rare for a cartridge to combine such an adrenalin pumping performance that doesn’t wear thin after extended listening, but the depth of the abilities of the Apheta mean that this certainly isn’t the case.
Rega Apheta cartridge: £920.00
The Wood sits approximately in the middle of the Benz Micro range. As the name suggest this Swiss built cartridge is housed in a wood body, made from machined Bruyere, a very hard and stable wood making it perfect for use in the construction of cartridges.
A Micro Ridge profiled diamond is used, this has very good wear characteristics combined with great resolution and low distortion. This is mounted in a solid Boron cantilever, a very rare and hard material, whose stiffness is ideal for this role.
The Wood is available with three different output levels, the ‘SL’ version shown here outputs a conventional MC output voltage of 0.4mV, the ‘SM’ a higher 0.8mV (a rather unusual output level) and the ‘SH’ outputs 2.6mV (I.e. a high output coil level, suitable for use into most MM phono stages).
For best performance we would recommend the SL version, as the lower moving mass of a low output cartridge always brings great gains to top end extension and quality. Its coil impedance of 12 Ohms means that most good step up transformers will work perfectly, however if you don’t have the budget or space for a step up transformer then the SH version would be a good compromise.
The Wood has a powerful and well rounded sound, with instruments having great tonal richness and natural warmth. There’s a tremendous sense of refinement and smoothness throughout the registers, but it has no problem getting your foot tapping when the music demands it. Instrument placement is very well defined and the depth of sound staging is particularly impressive. To top it off, the high frequencies are sweet and extended. This cartridge is also extremely kind to record wear and surface noise, in fact I’d suggest it’s one of the quietest cartridges I’ve come across, and only the Ortofon SPU springs to mind as being superior in this respect.
If you find a lot of cartridges at this level to be too forward, bright or lacking smoothness then the Wood should definitely be high up your list to audition, it’s also a hugely entertaining cartridge to listen to and is definitely up there with some of the very best, and at a very reasonable price for the performance on offer.
Like all of the Benz Micro range, this model is also available in Mono guise to special order.
Benz Micro Wood MC cartridge: £994.95
Audio Note Range
The Audio Note range of MC cartridges span three different models from the slightly unaffordable to the extremely unaffordable! However once over the initial purchase price the running costs are very reasonable, not only will the very high quality diamond outlast many alternatives but when it comes to rebuild time the cost is much more reasonable than on many similarly high end cartridges.
Audio Note Io1
The Audio Note Io range of cartridges are quite simply the best I’ve heard, most
hi end cartridges have some foibles -
The Io1 is a conventional compliance design making it perfect for use on almost any tonearm (such as Rega, Linn, SME and so on) and unlike the larger models featured below isn’t very heavy at 11 gramme's, so will work well with standard counterweights.
It features high power Alnico magnets, aluminium and wood construction and very fine pure silver wire on the coils. The cantilever is made from Titanium and the Diamond is a AN Type 2. Due to the very few winding used in the coils it has a low output (0.05mV) and likes to be used with a low impedance transformer for best results. It’s available with either Blue or Red side pieces, as shown above and below.
Audio Note Io1 cartridge: £POA at manufacturers request
Audio Note Io1 rebuild charge: £735
Audio Note Io2
The Io2 is heavier than the Io 1 listed above (18 gramme's, which is 7 gramme's heavier than the Io1) and is fitted with an even higher quality AN Type 1 diamond).
Audio Note Io2 cartridge: £POA at manufacturers request
Audio Note Io2 rebuild cost: £735
Audio Note Io Gold
The Io Gold uses a body made from solid, polished copper and subsequently weighs a little more than the Io II at 20 gramme’s.
Audio Note Io Gold cartridge; £POA at manufacturers request
Audio Note Io Gold rebuild: £838
Audio Note Io Ltd
The Io Ltd is the most extreme cartridge Audio Note make and is the finest cartridge
we know of. It disposes of the Alnico magnets found in the other models and replaces
them with field coils -
Audio Note Io Ltd: £POA at manufacturers request
Audio Note Io Ltd rebuild cost: £2,208
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