This item not eligible for any further discount offers!
Trade In Pricing:
Receive a credit valued at 30% of the original retail price of any modern Sumiko moving coil cartridge towards the purchase of a Sumiko Moving Coil cartridge of equal or greater value.
Re-Tip/Exchange:
Only $719.99
Trade instructions:
If you purchase this cartridge with a trade-in, please note when you check out your total will show the normal sale price of this item and NOT the trade in price. However, when we process your order, you will be charged ONLY the trade in price. When you have received your new Sumiko cartridge, please carefully pack and ship your trade-in cartridge to us (see our website for address).
Next-Gen Moving Coil Phono Pickup
Particularly adept with vocals & acoustic instruments, Sumiko created Songbird to make genuine moving coil imaging available to any listener. It delivers the sweetest highs over a robust, rich yet clear low-midrange. Like its big sibling Starling, Songbird suspends sonic images in a highly controlled manner. As opposed to music being flung from your speakers, you're placed among the naturally-positioned instruments in the soundstage, close in proximity to the intimate nuances of the musical material. If you've got an MM phono section, there's a good chance Songbird High is the cartridge you've been dreaming about.
Clear and ultra-musical with just the right degree of warmth, Songbird Low offers an even deeper soundstage with greater reach width-wise. As it's generally more quiet thus allowing more detail to surface, you'll be shocked by the surprises it yields even in the recordings you're most familiar with. Stunningly holographic in a manner that approaches that of Starling, Songbird Low maximizes the refinement of your MC system at a price that's well below reasonable considering the performance it achieves.
Sumiko's Latest Reference Open-Body MCs
Sumiko is immeasurably excited about these recent additions to their Reference open-body MC lineup. Sumiko's latest darlings -- Songbird & Starling -- are a heavy refinement on their tried & true Blackbird & BPS EVO III designs. Securely anchored to a highly rigid, resonance-optimized headblock, their new generator is free to work its magic with the utmost control, free of unwanted internal resonance. The generator assembly is flexible and sturdy, offering the highest fidelity possible in a perfect balance of clarity and romance. The result is industry-leading, holographic imaging with irresistibly 'true' sweetness. Each delivers a degree of honesty & refinement that Sumiko couldn't be more proud of, nor more excited for you to hear for yourself.
Trade In or Trade Up
As user-replaceable styli are not on an option for moving coil phono cartridges, remember that any of Sumiko's MCs, functional or otherwise, can be returned to your dealer in a re-tip exchange -- a discount on the same cartridge or one model up, sparing you expense when your stylus heads south!
Hand-Crafted in Japan
From Oyster to Reference, each Sumiko phono cartridge is crafted by hand in Yokohama, Japan -- near the waters where Sumiko's namesake Oysters dwell. They've selected by ear the finest materials that combine to deliver performance that has enlightened generations of listeners. Each design is thoroughly auditioned until perfected. Production is then executed by world-class cartridge makers with a collective eye for precision & quality. The result is a full horizon of cartridges eager to introduce themselves to your analog system -- Sumiko firmly believes there's a perfect cartridge for you here.
Technical Specifications
Cartridge Type | Moving Coil |
---|---|
Mass | 8.5g |
Dimensions | 17 x 18 x 28.5mm (WxHxD) |
Stylus | 0.3 x 0.7mil Elliptical |
Cantilever Material | ?0.5mm Treated Aluminum Pip |
Coils | High-Purity Copper |
Internal Impedance | 135Ω |
Load Impedance | 47kΩ |
Frequency Response | 12Hz - 40kHz |
Output Voltage | 2.5mV |
Channel Separation | 30dB @ 1kHz |
Channel Balance | < 0.5dB @ 1kHz |
Compliance | 12x10-6 cm/dyn @ 100Hz |
Recommended load capacitance | 100pF - 200pF |
Vertical tracking angle | 20° |
Tracking Force | 1.8g - 2.2g |
Recommended Force | 2.0g |