Soundsmith Cartridge - Zephyr MIMC Star ES Cartridge / 0.4mV (Low Compliance)

The Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC Star Moving Iron Cartridge 0.4mV smashes through sonic barriers with its laser-drilled Sapphire cantilever!
The ES Series version of the Stereophile Class B Recommended Component Award Winner!

Unparalleled 2 Year Warranty!

Retip is less than 18% of MSRP at $500!

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.

Responding to the demand for a lower priced, low-output design for those who own high gain preamps, the Soundsmith recently developed the Zephyr MIMC STAR, which follows in the footsteps of the highly successful high-output Zephyr II. The handcrafted Zephyr MIMC STAR (Moving Iron for Moving Coil Preamps) is based on the world famous Sussurro cartridge and captures the gist of the latter‘s sonic signature at a much more reasonable price. The Zephyr MIMC STAR has been specifically designed to complement both unipivot arms and gimbaled bearing arms. Its sonic attributes include evenly balanced frequency response, dynamic shadings and remarkable detail retrieval; its slam will leave even the most die-hard analog buffs breathless.

An Unparalleled Warranty:
The MIMC Star Cartridge is covered for a full two years. Retip is 18% of the retail ($350). 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 Zephyr cartridge:
"At the under US$2000 price point, the new low output Soundsmith Zephyr MIMIC Star is an overachiever that gives you a glimpse of the best in terms of non-mechanical, artifact-free performance, for a small percentage of the state of the art asking price. With measured 36dB chancel separation the Zephyr Star’s spatial performance is up there with the best at any price, as is its smooth, reasonably fast and non-mechanical overall demeanor."

"If you crave more tightly drawn, solid and compacted images, sharper, faster, better focused transients and blacker backgrounds they can be found, but at a far higher price-point. Soundsmith’s new Zephyr Star is a star." - Michael Fremer, analogplanet.com

Specifications:
Stylus: Selected Contact Line low mass Nude Stylus
Radius of curvature: 6 x 17 uM
Cantilever: Laser Drilled Sapphire
Recommended Tracking force: 1.8 to 2.2 Grams
Effective tip mass: 0.32 mg
Compliance: 10µm/mN (low compliance)
Frequency response: 15-45,000 Hz ± 2.0 dB
Channel Separation (stereo only): 1000 Hz >32 dB, 50 Hz - 15 kHz >25 dB
Channel difference: <1.0 dB (Stereo), <0.5 dB (Dual Mono operation - w/optimal VTFsetting)
Output voltage: 0.4 mV
Cartridge weight: 12.2 Grams
Loading: >= 470 Ohm

2 Year Warranty
Retip: $500