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Editors' Choice Award 2024 – The Absolute Sound Magazine
"Recommended" Award – avforums.com
New Upgraded, Updated Version of the Bestselling Blue Point Cartridge
Sumiko has updated one of its iconic designs. The Blue Point No. 2 High Output Moving Coil cartridge has been upgraded to the new model Blue Point No. 3, which features both High Output and Low Output versions. Compatible with a wide range of tonearms, the affordable Blue Point No. 2 is a gem that has brought tens of thousands of listeners into the world of true high-fidelity analog. And now Sumiko has made it even better.
By redesigning the cartridge's housing and improving the generator's mounting, Sumiko was able to significantly reduce the systems' internal vibrations, resulting in greater clarity and a smoother overall tonal balance. This redesign also adds threaded inserts to the cartridge body and improves visibility of the stylus tip to make mounting simpler and more precise. A protective stylus guard is also provided.
Award-Winning Performance
The Absolute Sound magazine honored the Sumiko Blue Point No. 3 with an Editors' Choice Award for 2024.
"The second-generation version of the Bluepoint Oyster—long considered a go-to choice among affordable, high-output moving-coil cartridges—the No. 2 offers improved resolution, superior three-dimensionality, richer and more potent bass, and smoother, less aggressive highs. A huge step up from entry-level cartridges."
"It’s the continued evolution of a tried and tested formula from a company that knows what it's doing. The result is even handed, forgiving but endlessly engaging and presents measurements and dimensions that won’t trouble most equivalent hardware," observes Ed Selley in his February 18, 2023 review for avforums.com, which gave the Blue Point No. 3 a "Recommended" award. "The Blue Point range has been delighting vinyl lovers for decades and the latest iteration does nothing to change this, coming enthusiastically Recommended as a result."
Smoothness Enhanced with Subtlety and Nuance
The sonic presentation of Blue Point No. 3 harkens back to vintage Shure & Stanton moving magnet cartridges fondly remembered for their smoothness. With Sumiko's tried and true MC generator system, that smoothness is enhanced with the subtlety and nuance you'd expect from a Sumiko moving coil cartridge.
The Blue Point No. 3 assembles its sonic picture from the ground up with its oh-so buttery low-end response. Bass enthusiasts are in for a treat here. Full and warm, yet defined and textured, the coziness of the bass will invite you right in. It doesn't stop there, however. You can expect the similar lushness through the mids along with high-frequency attack and decay that's simply sweet and airy.
"It's Daft how Good this Sounds"
"Doin' it right. It's daft how good this sounds," raves Eric Pye, enjoythemusic.com, October, 2021. "I experienced great pleasure listening to the Blue Point No. 3 High Output. In my limited experience, it's the best cartridge I've heard. Someday I hope to hear the Low Output and see if that really does take things to another level."
"With improved resonance control based on a new and definitely more attractive body compared to the Blue Point 2 (plus the addition of threaded inserts that make installation far easier), the Blue Point 3 sounds far more refined, smooth and sweet compared to its somewhat more 'rough around the edge' predecessor," observes Michael Fremer, analogplanet.com, November 18, 2021.
High and Low Output Versions
Here's another nice upgrade to the Blue Point No. 2. The new Blue Point Number 3 is now available in both High Output and Low Output versions. The High Output model can be used with any Moving Magnet phono stage with 47k loading, while the Low Output is the perfect companion to the many excellent affordable phono stages that support Moving Coils. For best results, resistive loading should be set between 100-150.
Having developed such a refinement on a classic design, introducing a low-output variant was a no-brainer for Sumiko. "As strongly as we stand behind Blue Point No. 3 High, Blue Point No. 3 Low is a game changer," Sumiko tells us. Owners of MC phono stages can experience the same listenability mentioned above, but with the depth and imaging typical of a low-output design, and then some.
As with its predecessors, Blue Point No. 3 remains a high-value performer that's easy on your pocketbook, and with the introduction of Blue Point No. 3 Low, there's a Blue Point for everyone!
"Flawlessly Crafted and Perfectly Designed"
"In symphonic works, the Blue Point No. 3 demonstrated its ability to reproduce large bodies of sound that did not suffer from anemic deficiencies due to a pickup that was tuned too tightly," reports Knuth Zensen, fidelity-magazine.com.
"The flawlessly crafted and perfectly designed Sumiko Blue Point No. 3 High is a fantastic all-rounder, only in the area of ultimate dynamics and high-frequency resolution is it slightly restrained. In my experience, however, the latter characteristics are reserved for cartridges that leave a much bigger hole in the wallet."
