Customer Ratings & Reviews

This is a fantastic cartridge. It is well known and quite popular among hi-fi/vinyl aficionados and for a good reason. The sound is excellent and quite familiar to those who like Japanese cartridges - crystal clear highs, great midrange and good bass. There is no inner groove distortion whatsoever, it can adequately track the most complicated jazz and classic compositions without much effort. Channel separation and thus, stereo effect is excellent. For the price paid you get features such as boron cantilever and microlinear stylus - these are typically available at much more expensive cartridges. The output voltage is 0.3 mV, so decent MC pre amp is a must. Mounting and adjustment wasn't too hard thanks to rectangular cartridge shape and provided cover, but it would have been easier if the holes were threaded. Also, the screws provided are either too short or too long for a standard Audio Technica shell. Not a big deal, but somewhat annoying to perfectionist eye. :) Overall, this is phenomenal cartridge for the price. Of course, audio perception is very subjective, but personally I don't know other cartridges that would perform as well at the same price point. If you are considering it - give it a try, you won't be disappointed, especially if this is your first MC cartridge.

This is a fantastic cartridge, extremely neutral with great high and low frequency extension. Extremely fast and lively even with the most complex passages. Most impressive is how it tracks, even with vintage vinyl in poor shape. You could pay more for a cartridge but I think you would be deep in diminishing returns given the value proposition here.