Soundsmith Cartridges
American cartridge maker from New York, founded by Peter Ledermann. Soundsmith build moving iron cartridges and retip other manufacturers' cartridges, including ones the maker no longer supports.
About Soundsmith Cartridges
Quick Access
Moving iron, and the workshop that saves cartridges
Soundsmith began as a repair bench. When Bang & Olufsen stopped making the proprietary plug-in cartridges their turntables needed, owners were left with decks they could not use, and Peter Ledermann went to B&O for permission to build them himself.
Soundsmith call their design fixed coil: a moving iron arrangement in which the coils and magnets stay still and only a small piece of iron moves with the cantilever. Ledermann puts the reduction in moving mass at five-fold or better. Output is high enough for any phono stage, so you get moving coil behaviour without needing a moving coil input.
It also makes them far cheaper to rebuild than a moving coil, which is where the two halves of the business meet. Soundsmith retip and rebuild cartridges from other makers as well as their own, including discontinued models nobody else will touch. If you own something valuable that has worn out, this is often the answer.
Hand built in Peekskill, New York, in small numbers, with strain gauge cartridges alongside the fixed coil range.
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£499.17Ex. VATThe MMP4 MKII is Soundsmith's entry-level phono preamplifier, but it certainly does not sacrifice on performance. Borrowing technology from the higher-end MMP3 MKII, the MMP4 is designed for use with cartridges from Soundsmith's Medium & High-Output lines (and other similar cartridges), and every one is handmade in upstate New York. -
Soundsmith
Soundsmith Otello High-Output HiFi Turntable CartridgeSKU: Soundsmith Otello HiFi
(1 reviews)£499.96Ex. VATThe Otello is the entry-level model in Soundsmith's range of high-output cartridges, featuring an elliptical, titanium stylus. As part of the Fixed Coil range, Otello benefits from minimal noise returned to your record and reduced 'stylus jitter', resulting in clear and detailed sound. -
£665.83Ex. VATThe MMP3 is Soundsmith's top-of-the-line preamp designed specifically for use with their medium and high-output cartridges, or other similar cartridges. The handmade preamp circuits deliver high performance with ultra-low distortion and minimal noise, and each one is made-to-order by Soundsmith engineers in upstate New York.
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£832.50Ex. VATThe Carmen represents a step up in performance from the from Otello, benefitting from an elliptical nude diamond stylus as well as Soundsmith's Fixed Coil design. The Fixed Coil mitigates noise being returned to your vinyl record and reduces 'stylus jitter', boosting clarity and detail in the sound produced. -
£832.50Ex. VATThe Irox Blue is the entry-level cartridge in Soundsmith's "Unbreakable" range, providing high-output and high performance. This cartridge is designed to be robust without sacrificing detail, making it an ideal option for use in busy environments where multiple people with varying levels of skill can be expected to operate the turntable. Like all of Soundsmith's cartridges, the Irox Blue also benefits from Soundsmith's innovative Fixed Coil technology. In addition to drastically reducing the overall weight of the device, this technology also prevents your cartridge from returning noise to your record and reduces 'stylus jitter' which is a cause of distortion, ultimately meaning exceptionally clear and detailed sound.
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£999.17Ex. VATThe MCP2 phono preamplifier is Soundsmith's premium preamp with a design optimised for use with their low-output Fixed Coil cartridge line, or ant other quality low-output cartridge. Featuring shielded transformers to deliver ultra-low distortion and negligible noise, the MCP2 also allows the user to seamlessly adjust the loading from 10 Ohms all the way up to 5k Ohms ensuring compatibility with any low-output design. Each MCP2 is handmade by Soundsmith engineers in upstate New York. -
Soundsmith
Soundsmith Zephyr MKIII High-Output HiFi Turntable CartridgeSKU: Soundsmith Zephyr MKIII
£1,249.17Ex. VATThe Zephyr MKIII by Soundsmith is their mid-range high-output cartridge, borrowing features from its more expensive siblings, like its nude diamond stylus engineered in the Line Contact shape- this means that it is shaped similarly to the stylus used for cutting vinyl records, ensuring maximum contact with your record. Like the other cartridges in the Fixed Coil range, it benefits from minimal noise being introduced to your record and much less 'stylus jitter', delivering sound with clarity and detail. -
£1,665.83Ex. VATThe Zephyr MIMC is the entry-level low-output cartridge by Soundsmith, but it retains many of the performance features of its more high-end siblings, and features a sapphire cantilever. Also benefitting from Soundsmith's 'Fixed Coil' technology, which results in less stylus 'jitter' and less energy returned to your vinyl record meaning greater clarity of sound. The Zephyr also features a stylus made from pure diamond engineered in 'Line Contact' shape- this shape is very similar to the stylus used to cut vinyl records, and ensures maximum contact with your record.
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£1,665.83Ex. VATSoundsmith's Aida is a high-end, high-output cartridge delivering exceptional performance. Featuring a sapphire cantilever and nude diamond stylus engineered in the Line Contact shape, this is a cartridge that ensures maximum contact with your record and excellent responsiveness. As with other Fixed Coil models, Aida ensures minimal noise being fed back to your vinyl record and low levels of 'stylus jitter' to deliver sharp and clear sound. -
£1,665.83Ex. VATThis may be the entry-level in Soundsmith's medium-output range, but Norma is much the same as Aida, the high-end high-output cartridge. Featuring a ruby cantilever and an optimised Line Contact stylus made from nude diamond which ensures maximum contact with the grooves in your record, Norma is composed of the highest quality materials. It also benefits from Soundsmith's innovative Fixed Coil design, which significantly reduces mass and noise returned to the record, as well as minimising 'stylus jitter' to deliver clean and detailed sound. -
Soundsmith
Soundsmith Irox Ultimate High-Output "Unbreakable" Phono CartridgeSKU: Soundsmith Irox Ultimate
£1,665.83Ex. VAT -
£2,499.17Ex. VATThe Voice is the pinnacle of the high-output range by Soundsmith. With each one handcrafted by Soundsmith President & Chief Engineer, Peter Ledermann, The Voice delivers unparalleled high-output performance with its ruby cantilever and nude diamond, Line Contact stylus. The Line Contact stylus is shaped very similarly to the stylus used to cut vinyl records and ensures optimal, constant contact with the record. Once again benefitting from Soundsmith's Fixed Coil technology, by minimising the amount of noise sent back to your record and all-but eliminating 'stylus jitter' The Voice can make your record collection sound brand new again.
