Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC Star
Hi-Fi Choice|Yearbook 2022
SOUNDSMITH'S ZEPHYR MIMC Star uses an ultra-low mass moving-iron stylus and cantilever assembly, claimed to offer the best of both MM and MC designs.
Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC Star

It has an irregular body design that makes it tricky to correctly align in a headshell, along with a fiddly stylus guard that doesn't inspire confidence. Stranger still are the so-called 'DEMS' silica inserts - tiny alumina rods to electrically decouple the cartridge body from the headshell. When fitting, you put the two half rods in the specially milled recesses at either side of its top plate. Then the fully round rod goes in the centre slot to provide azimuth adjustment. This makes fitting a real faff.

This story is from the Yearbook 2022 edition of Hi-Fi Choice.

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This story is from the Yearbook 2022 edition of Hi-Fi Choice.

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