Sumiko Pearl Phono Cartridge Stylus

The RS Pearl — An Elliptical Tip for a Cartridge Sumiko No Longer Builds

Sumiko's replacement stylus for the Pearl moving magnet cartridge, supplied on its own. The diamond is elliptical at 0.3 by 0.7 mil, mounted on an aluminum cantilever, and it pushes onto the front of a Pearl body.

The Pearl has been out of production for some time, which is exactly why this part is worth knowing about. A worn tip does not finish the cartridge. It finishes this assembly, and the assembly is the one piece you can still buy.

Fit, Profile and Compatibility

Which Bodies It Belongs On

Sumiko names a single replacement stylus unit for the Pearl and this is it. The Pearl predates the company's current interchangeable range, so the fit here is strictly one to one — this stylus, that body.

Sumiko's current moving magnet cartridges — Rainier, Olympia, Moonstone, Wellfleet and Amethyst — share one interchangeable group of styli. This is not part of it. Those assemblies will not serve here and this one will not serve there.

The Numbers That Matter at Setup

On a Pearl body Sumiko publishes 4 mV of output at 1 kHz, a frequency response of 12 Hz – 20 kHz, 25 dB of channel separation at 1 kHz and compliance of 10 × 10⁻⁶ cm/dyn. Load impedance is 47 kΩ with 100 to 200 pF of capacitance.

Tracking force runs 1.5 to 2.0 g with 2.0 g recommended. An elliptical tip is more sensitive to weight than a spherical one, so this is worth setting with a gauge rather than by the counterweight dial.

Who Is the RS Pearl Best For?

• Your Pearl is worn — the cartridge is out of production, so the stylus is how it keeps playing
• You want the elliptical profile back — 0.3 by 0.7 mil is what the Pearl was built around
• You would rather not realign anything — the assembly clips off the front and the body stays put
• You keep a spare — sensible insurance on a cartridge that cannot simply be re-bought
• Yours is a Black Pearl, an Oyster, or one of the current Sumikos — each takes its own stylus, all of them in replacement styli

How Do You Fit It?

Nothing comes off the arm. Take the old assembly by its housing, pull it straight off the front of the cartridge, and press this one on until it seats. Then set tracking force to 2.0 g — the geometry you set when the cartridge went on is still correct.

Pairs Well With

What most Pearl owners shop alongside.

• Stylus force gauges — how you set the 2.0 g this one asks for
• Stylus cleaning — what decides how long the new tip lasts
• Record cleaning solutions — a clean record is the cheapest stylus insurance there is
• Phono cartridges — if the body is damaged rather than the tip

Frequently Asked Questions

Will it fit my cartridge?

It fits the Sumiko Pearl alone. The Black Pearl and the Oyster each have their own replacement stylus, and Sumiko's current Rainier, Olympia, Moonstone, Wellfleet and Amethyst share a separate interchangeable group.

Is the Black Pearl stylus the same part?

It is not. Sumiko lists a different replacement unit for each, and the two cartridges use different diamonds — the Pearl elliptical, the Black Pearl spherical.

What tracking force should I set?

Sumiko specifies 1.5 to 2.0 g and recommends 2.0 g. Use a gauge; an elliptical tip shows a careless setting sooner than a spherical one does.

How long does a stylus last?

Around 1,000 hours is the usual figure, though it turns on how clean your records are and how accurately the cartridge is set up. A worn tip damages records, so replace it on schedule rather than by ear.

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