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Builds Upon the Strengths of the Bestselling Blue Point SpecialThe Sumiko Songbird moving coil phono cartridge builds upon the strengths of, and lessons learned from, the bestselling high-end cartridge in the world, the Blue Point Special. No aspect of the cartridge's design was left to chance. To avoid unwanted external resonance storage the conventional cartridge body was eliminated. This allowed for the construction of the most efficient path for evacuating internal resonance through the structure of the cartridge directly into the tonearm. This low mechanical impedance mounting system, combined with the optimization of mass, provides the perfect environment for the carefully chosen working elements of the cartridge. The coated aluminum cantilever chosen for the Songbird provides excellent energy transfer from the stylus to the coils. Suspension DesignVirtually all conventional moving coils get by with a suspension element made from a butyl material. For the Songbird, we chose to use a synthetic rubber where the hardness (10 degrees) and repulsion factor (8%) of the material can be tightly controlled with molding temperature, cure time, and skin tension. Additionally, with this synthetic material, the specified parameters of the suspension are held to design tolerance for a longer period of time. These steps help insure the cartridge will perform as designed for a longer period of time and will last considerably longer than other designs. The final result provides a combination of superior dynamics and excellent long term tracking ability. Why an Elliptical Stylus Shape?Your Songbird is fitted with a specially ground, low mass stylus, a design type where the inherent character is always musical. With care and precise adjustment, tremendous amounts of detail can be extracted from the Songbird. But unlike some designs, even if it is not adjusted within a gnat's whisker of perfection, your cartridge will still deliver an intensely musical experience. Old World CraftsmanshipEach Songbird is painstakingly crafted by hand in a process that involves hours of labor. After assembly, final adjustments are made using a battery of test records, and performance is hand-calibrated. Each cartridge is subjected to this process and is critically auditioned before it is shipped. No computer or machine is yet capable of matching the precise adjustments necessary to extract the highest level of performance from a reference quality phono cartridge. Choose High Output or Low Output VersionThe Songbird is available in two output options. The standard "Low" output version has an output voltage comparable to most other moving coils and requires either a step-up transformer or an MC phono stage for matching to a hi-fi system. The Songbird Low Output likes to see a resistive loading of 100 Ohms or less, and at least 50 dB of gain - an ideal match for any of the adjustable Pro-Ject Phono Box models, and magic with the Tube Box DS2 and Phono Box RS with their infinitely variable resistive loading control.
The "High" output version is a type that many other cartridge manufacturers have struggled to achieve with such success. Sumiko high output moving coils can be paired with almost any MM phono stage, and the Songbird marries a low-mass cantilever to a powerful generator system for 2.5mV of output.
2022, 2023 Recommended Components - Stereophile"The Songbird, with its sweet tone and subtle textures, is cut from the same sonic cloth as its Reference series sibling, the Starling. Bravo, Sumiko!" - Herb Reichert, Stereophile, June 30, 2021 The Best Phono Cartridges, Tonearms and Headshells | Buyers Guide 2022 - Part-Time Audiophile"The Sumiko Songbird makes an excellent case for itself as one of the most intriguing sub-$1000 cartridges out there." "The Sumiko Songbird earns high praise for accomplishing Job #1 for a cartridge—extracting information from the groove. It’s also not easy for a cartridge at this price point to get the deep bass right. It’s not as warm as some of the other cartridges I’ve owned and loved, but let’s face it—it’s neutral and that’s an admirable goal for when price is an object. That’s how the Sumiko Songbird stands out from the crowd, and why you should give it a listen." - Marc Phillips, Part-Time Audiophile, August 21, 2020 "The low output version of Sumiko's Songbird is an intriguing offering, in so much as it's a reference moving coil cartridge that's uncomplicated to set up and is instantly gratifying to set ears upon." "What this version of the Songbird does give you is the refinement that one expects from a much more expensive moving coil cartridge, along with a knack for digging out those elusive micro details. It's also really good at tracking complex dynamics in a piece of music, showing poise and effortlessness – more hallmarks of a serious high-end pickup – all for its modest asking price. There's also the consolation that it won't take endless hours of tweaking to be rewarded with all of its moving coil goodness – unlike some fussier and fiddlier designs. Overall then, it's cracking value at the price and should be on your 'must-hear' list of affordable moving coils." - Jay Garrett, StereoNET, July 10, 2020
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