Made in the USA.
Trade-Up Pricing: Receive a credit valued at 30% of the original retail price of a Soundsmith moving iron cartridge towards the purchase of a new Soundsmith moving iron cartridge of equal or greater value.
All original owners of this cartridge are eligible for a rebuild done by Soundsmith directly!
$350 ~ Only 20% (or less) of MSRP!
Click here to fill out Soundsmith's Cartridge Rebuild Form
2 year warranty to the original owner.
A Rarity at its Price Point
The Aida employs a Sapphire laser drilled cantilever and ultra low mass Contact Line solid nude diamond stylus. This configuration resolves the challenges of playing the inner grooves with the same level of confidence as the outer. How did Soundsmith do this? The unique stylus shape of their CL stylus has a "sharper" playing surface on the faceted diamond, allowing it to ride easily in the groove modulations of even the most difficult passages and high frequency information that other cartridges simply cannot trace. The result - a truly superb cartridge, surpassing top MC designs with air, focus and sound staging no cartridge at this price should be able to achieve.
Also available in dual-coil mono.
New ES Series DEMS Design
2018's RMAF show was the official launch of Soundsmith's new ES series of cartridges, where the attendees experienced the latest exploration into overlooked areas of cartridge design and solutions from Soundsmith.
The ES line features not only a dramatic new look, but is a significant evolution of the DEMS system design (Dynamic Energy Management System). 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 affecting performance. Peter 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.
Technical Specifications
| Type | Fixed Coil / Moving Iron |
|---|---|
| Mount | Standard ½" |
| Stylus | Selected Contact Line low mass Nude Stylus |
| Radius of Curvature | 6 x 17 µm |
| Cantilever | Laser Drilled Sapphire |
| Recommended Tracking Force | 1.3 - 1.6 g Standard (Medium Compliance)
1.0 - 1.2 g (Special Order High Compliance) |
| Effective Tip Mass | 0.30 mg |
| Compliance | 22 µm/mN (Medium Compliance)
28 µm/mN (High Compliance) |
| Frequency Response | 20 - 20,000 Hz ± 2.5 dB |
| Channel Separation @ 1000 Hz | > 30 dB
N/A (Mono version) |
| Channel Separation @ 50 - 15,000 Hz | > 20 dB
N/A (Mono version) |
| Channel Difference | < 1.0 dB
< 1.0 dB (Mono version) |
| Output Voltage @ 5cm/sec | > 2.12 mV (HIGH) |
| DC Resistance (DCR) | 680Ω |
| Coil Inductance per channel | 190 mH |
| Suggested Preamp Gain | 38 - 44 dB |
| Cartridge Weight | 9.20 g (ES series) |
| Recommended Load Resistance | ≥ 47kΩ |
| Recommended Load Capacitance | n/a |
