Sumiko Oriole Low Output Moving Coil Cartridge

Sumiko Oriole Low Output Moving Coil Cartridge

Oriole maintains the tonally balanced, refined & fatigue frees character for which Sumiko is globally regarded. Enhanced with a high efficiency, low impedance generator as well as a nude Shibata line contact stylus, Oriole confidently asserts itself as a meaningful upgrade from Songbird that approaches the performance of Sumiko's venerable Starling.  The stylus and generator deliver impeccable detail retrieval, emotionally captivating dynamics, speedy attack and sweet resolution. Deeply musical and endlessly listenable, Oriole is alluring in its wholly analogue sounding character. It portrays musical material in natural balance with its surrounding ambience, and with life like nuance. Silent in the groove, music blossoms from a jet black background and invites you into the most intimate spaces of a keenly rendered soundstage.

Reference Series Open Body MCs

Sumiko's Reference Series open architecture cartridges minimize the potential for colouration and distortion due to energy buildup that is sometimes propagated by the conventional cartridge body. Internal resonance is damped within the generator while remaining resonance travels up through the bonded mounting plate and headblock, then down the tonearm where it is dissipated harmlessly. The PEEK generator mounting plate provides the utmost stability and energy transfer while the stiff alloy headblock is the conduit through which that energy exits the cartridge. The generator itself minimizes distortion and losses through the implementation of pure metals and intelligent orientation of the same. The performance of this sophisticated generator is bolstered by Sumiko's multi-faceted approach to resonance control, precipitating to clean, musical, and highly listenable sonics.

Hand Crafted in Japan

Each Sumiko phono cartridge is hand assembled by the world class cartridge makers at Excel Sound in Yokohama, Japan, a relationship Sumiko has proudly maintained for nearly forty years. They use only the finest materials that combine to deliver performance that has enlightened generations of listeners. Each design is thoroughly auditioned until it meets Sumiko's stringent standards for sound. Production is then executed by expert craftsmen with a collective eye for precision and quality. The result is a family of cartridges that render emotion through tonally balanced, refined and fatigueless analogue reproduction.

Review Comments:

“So solid and reassuring is the Sumiko Oriole, from its sound to its construction… this cartridge is an exemplar of modern MC performance… Spend time on the setup, especially VTA, and you’ll think this cost £3000.”  - Hi-Fi News Outstanding Product

“Joe Gordon’s trumpet was especially impressive, with a purity of timbre and sense of clean dynamics you rarely hear. The Oriole behaved flawlessly, with superb tracking and no peakiness.”  - Stereophile