Usually Ships Within 1-2 weeks.
Soundsmith's Aida cartridge is designed to be used with a moving magnet preamp, so high-gain moving coil preamps are not required. Every cartridge by Soundsmith is carefully hand built and tested. The performance is recorded and those that meet or exceed specifications are sold, and the ones that don't are broken down and recycled. Soundsmith took moving iron technology and perfected it. This design offers lower effective moving mass, causing the stylus to stay in better contact with the groove walls. The new line also features azimuth adjustment built-in to each cartridge, as well as the option for electrical isolation for hum-prone systems. The sleek new ES body design is far more than a cosmetic upgrade; the new shape is a departure from the reflective and “boxy” design of many cartridges whose internal construction contributes to uncontrolled vibrational issues adversely affecting performance.
The ES line employs a significant evolution of the DEMS system design (Dynamic Energy Management System). This directs internal vibrational forces without reflection and disperses them properly to the tonearm. The absence of reflections enables the stylus to stay in far greater 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.
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) |
| Frequence 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: |
≥ 47 kΩ |
| Recommended Load Capacitance: |
n/a |
