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High Quality, Highly Affordable MM Cartridge
The high quality, highly affordable Sumiko Black Pearl is a moving magnet phono cartridge with alloy cantilever, bonded spherical stylus, and 4.0mV output.
Borrowing the smooth character of its sibling Oyster cartridge, the Black Pearl boasts an improved housing that allows for wider frequency response. This makes way for more nuance and greater stereo imaging in a more cohesive soundstage.
Enjoyable for hours on end, Black Pearl is famously high in value, pairs perfectly with any MM phono preamplifier, and is physically compatible with a wide array of tonearms.
"Look No Further Than the Black Pearl"
"If you are in search of a ridiculously good cartridge that lists for a mere [under $120] new, look no further than the Sumiko Black Pearl," reports reviewer JazzPolice, forums.stevehoffman.tv.
"Compared to other similarly-priced entry level cartridges sonically, horns lose their stridency, cymbals lose their metallic edginess, and you can actually relax and listen to music. The Black Pearl is dark, warm, and inviting with a distinct liquidity and softness which make this an excellent mate for cheap turntables as it will mitigate harshness."
"Smooth Sounding with Punchy Bass"
"Smooth sounding with punchy bass, dynamic and great tracker. It produces outstanding channel separation, very forgiving of cracks and pops on older records, sound stunningly good on old mono records," notes Black Pearl-user SiamP at vinylengine.com.
"The Pearl has outstanding separation and frequency response, coupled with way above average trackability. Plus the ability to work with a wide variety of tone arms," observes yeoldestereo, also at vinylengine.com.
"The Sumiko Pearl is just liquid in its presentation, not calling attention to itself. Just has a way of extracting the information from the LP in a seamless, musical way that far belies its price point," he concludes. "The layering in of the instruments is most impressive with a wide sound stage and great depth front to back."
Sumiko's Classic Oyster Series
Over 40 years, Sumiko's classic Oyster Series has left thousands of captivated listeners in its wake. The series is comprised of the Oyster (MM), Black Pearl (MM), Pearl (MM), Blue Point No. 2 (HO-MC), and Blue Point Special EVO III (H0-MC and LO-MC). Each cartridge is capable of delivering a degree of refinement you have yet to hear from your turntable system.
The Black Pearl and other Oyster-series cartridges have established themselves worldwide as high-value gems that dependably outperform listeners’ expectations for their dollar. Marked by honesty in analog reproduction, the Oyster Series remains true to what’s in the groove, impressively and convincingly voiced to bring you closer to your music.
Hand-Crafted in Japan
From the Oyster Series to Reference models, each Sumiko phono cartridge is crafted by hand in Yokohama, Japan — near the waters where the namesake Oysters dwell. Sumiko selects 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 and quality. The result is a full horizon of cartridges eager to introduce themselves to your analog system.
