Soundsmith Cartridge - Hyperion MKII ES - TI

Low mass, extreme rigidity, internal damping, and tremendous strength!
Unparalleled 10 Year Warranty! Retip is less than 12% of MSRP at $1200!

The Soundsmith ES Series Featuring Upgraded Performance, Design and the Dynamic Energy Management System (DEMS)!

What is the Dynamic Energy Management System (DEMS)?
The ES line features not only a dramatic new look, but is a significant evolution of the Dynamic Energy Management System (DEMS) design. The new Soundsmith ES cartridge designs are a significant advancement in cartridge performance due to their ability to direct internal vibrational forces without reflection and disperse them properly to the tone arm. The absence of reflections enables the stylus to stay in far greater statistical contact with the groove walls — a critically important technical refinement. Increased liquidity and reduced "grain," without loss of detail are some of the immediately discernible advantages of Soundsmith's new ES models. The new line also features Azimuth adjustment built-in to each cartridge, as well as the option for electrical isolation for hum-prone systems.

Every cartridge in Soundsmith's lineup will now feature their sleek new ES body design. The upgrade is far more than cosmetic; the new shape is a departure from the reflective and "boxy" design of many cartridges whose internal construction contribute to uncontrolled vibrational issues adversely effecting performance. Peter Ledermann, president of Soundsmith, says, "Think of how singing in an open field compares with singing in a shower." Soundsmith has always challenged conventions, looking deeper into nuances of cartridge design that dramatically affect immediate and long term performance. These have included extreme reductions of moving mass and the use of novel materials and designs. The new ES lineup is a continuation of that research and development.

The Hyperion MKII is the cartridge of choice for the most esteemed audio equipment manufacturers. Why? Because when they exhibit their gear at Hi-Fi shows, they want their turntable, amplifier or speaker systems to sound the very best that they can! Peter Ledermann's radical design utilizes an actual "cactus spine" for the cantilever. The naturally tapered shape, stacked columnar fibers and desiccated resin damping fit the exact parameters of the perfect cantilever: Low mass, extreme rigidity, internal damping, and tremendous strength.

An Unparalleled Warranty:
The Hyperion MKII Cartridge is covered for a full TEN years. Retip is 12% of the retail ($850). An absolutely unheard of warranty for cartridges. Made in the USA, the Soundsmith cartridges are the best long term values around!

In reviewing the original Hyperion MKII cartridge:
"The Hyperion MKII, Soundsmith’s new top-of-the-line moving-iron phono cartridge, utilizes a cactus needle cantilever. (That’s a cantilever made of a cactus needle.) ...the Hyperion MKII’s cactus needle cantilever provides both stiffness and damping—qualities which, according to Ledermann, had previously been mutually exclusive... We listened to some music. The sound was not prickly or thorny at all. It was clean, clear, and immediate—bold and well-controlled—with vibrant colors and good senses of rhythm, touch, and scale." - Stephen Mejias, Stereophile Magazine

Specifications:
Stylus: Contact Line Nude, 0.100mm SQ
Radius of curvature: CL (Contact Line) SELECTED
Cantilever: Hand formed & treated selected Cactus Spine
Recommended Tracking force: 1.8 to 2.2 Grams
Effective tip mass: 0.30 mg
Compliance: 10µm/mN (low compliance)
Frequency response: 20-20,000 Hz ± 1.0 dB
Channel Separation (stereo only): 1000 Hz >36 dB, 50-15000 >25 dB
Channel difference: <0.5 dB (Stereo), <1.0 dB (Mono)
Output voltage: 0.4 mV
Cartridge weight: 12.2 Grams
Loading: >= 470 O

10 Year Warranty
Retip: $1200