Made in the USA.
Trade-Up Pricing: Receive a credit valued at 30% of the original retail price of a Soundsmith moving iron cartridge towards the purchase of a new Soundsmith moving iron cartridge of equal or greater value.
All original owners of this cartridge are eligible for a rebuild done by Soundsmith directly!
$550 ~ Only 20% (or less) of MSRP!
Click here to fill out Soundsmith's Cartridge Rebuild Form
2 year warranty to the original owner.
The NEW Paua MKII: adorned with sea shell to remind us of the beauty of the sounds of the world all around us. Nature healing nature.
The Paua is one of Soundsmith's most highly regarded top of the line low output cartridges. It has won numerous accolades and praise from users and reviewers around the word, including an "Editor's Choice Award" in 2015 from TAS. Now Soundsmith introduces the new Paua MKII, employing a newly developed Aluminum alloy used to fashion the MKII's cantilever into a precision acoustic and mechanical lever. It features stiffness in the ranges required, while providing critical damping in other sections of the acoustic spectrum. The reult is an even better Paua, a cartridge that gets raves from its owners, and can be fully rebuilt many times for $550 - a fraction of its original cost - as with all Soundsmith cartridges - 20% or less.
Featuring ultra-low internal moving mass, a specialized telescoping newly developed alloy cantilever and highly polished low mass nude Contact Line stylus, the Paua MKII will add a unique quality of warmth and smoothness to any analog system without leaving behind all the delicate musical details you want and need to hear. The Paua MKII reaches new heights of stylus control and performance, as is confirmed by its incredibly high channel separation figures.
Soundsmith has accomplished a work of art with the Paua MKII design, resulting in an unparalleled and sublime performance.
Also available in dual-coil mono, as with all Soundsmith Fixed Coil designs.
When the needle dropped on the lead groove, it started showing off immediately. The Paua II was giving me more image solidity than I'd heard before. Images were more three dimensional and alive, more palpable.
New ES Series DEMS Design
2018's RMAF show was the official launch of Soundsmith's new ES series of cartridges, where the attendees experienced the latest exploration into overlooked areas of cartridge design and solutions from Soundsmith.
The ES line features not only a dramatic new look, but is a significant evolution of the DEMS system design (Dynamic Energy Management System). The new Soundsmith ES cartridge designs are a significant advancement in cartridge performance due to their ability to direct internal vibrational forces without reflection and disperse them properly to the tone arm. The absence of reflections enables the stylus to stay in far greater statistical contact with the groove walls -- a critically important technical refinement. Increased liquidity and reduced "grain," without loss of detail are some of the immediately discernible advantages of Soundsmith's new ES models.
The new line also features Azimuth adjustment built-in to each cartridge, as well as the option for electrical isolation for hum-prone systems.
Every cartridge in Soundsmith's lineup will now feature their sleek new ES body design. The upgrade is far more than cosmetic; the new shape is a departure from the reflective and "boxy" design of many cartridges whose internal construction contribute to uncontrolled vibrational issues adversely affecting performance. Peter says, "Think of how singing in an open field compares with singing in a shower." Soundsmith has always challenged conventions, looking deeper into nuances of cartridge design that dramatically affect immediate and long term performance. These have included extreme reductions of moving mass and the use of novel materials and designs. The new ES lineup is a continuation of that research and development.
Technical Specifications
| Type | Fixed Coil / Moving Iron |
|---|---|
| Mount | Standard ½" |
| Stylus | Contact Line, Nude, 0.10 mm square |
| Radius of Curvature | Nude Contact Line SELECTED |
| Cantilever | Telescoping Aluminum Alloy |
| Recommended Tracking Force | 1.7 - 1.9 g |
| Effective Tip Mass | 0.30 mg |
| Compliance | 10 µm/mN |
| Frequence Response | 20 - 20,000 Hz ± 1.0 dB |
| Channel Separation @ 1000 Hz | > 34 dB
N/A (Mono version) |
| Channel Separation @ 50 - 15,000 Hz | > 25 dB
N/A (Mono version) |
| Channel Difference | < 0.5 dB
< 1.0 dB (Mono version) |
| Output Voltage @ 5cm/sec | > 0.40 mV (LOW) |
| DC Resistance (DCR) | 10Ω |
| Coil Inductance per channel | 2.75 mH |
| Suggested Preamp Gain | 58 - 64 dB |
| Cartridge Weight | 12.2 g (ES series) |
| Recommended Load Resistance | ≥ 470Ω |
| Recommended Load Capacitance | n/a |
