2023 Editors’ Choice: Best Phono Cartridges $5,000 to $10,000

Equipped with a dandy micro-ridge stylus and a sophisticated magnetic engine, the Benz LP S has less of an electromechanical signature than most other ’coils. As a result, transparency to sources is markedly increased. This is a very high-resolution, very low-noise mc with a remarkably sweet and lifelike treble. In the right ’arm, it can consistently reveal details you’ve never heard before without ever sounding analytical. One of JV’s mc references. JV, 216

The Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti is the newest version of the original MC Windfeld cartridge—a previous TAS Product of the Year Award winner. The Ti’s body structure is SLM (selective laser melted) titanium and stainless steel; its motor is like that of the MC A95. Sonically, the Ti allows a listener to play nearly every album in his catalog without being bothered by any sins of commission. If you value neutrality and high resolution, low coloration and low distortion, and tracking ability that rivals the best moving magnets, then this outstanding new moving-coil is for you. AJ, 286

Yoshiaki Sugano’s (1907–2002) legacy of iconic masterwork moving-coil designs is perfectly exemplified by the current Rosewood Signature. Expect breathtaking soundstage transparency combined with a tuneful full-bodied lower midrange, 3-D spatiality, and unrestrained dynamics. It tracks well at 1.8g and resolves low-level detail without sounding analytical. It sings with emotional intensity while avoiding upper-octave brightness. The bass range is tightly defined and well-integrated with the lower midrange. It is in essence a gift for the music lover who would like to kick back at the end of a day and just enjoy the music. DO, 295

With a body handmade of Hawaiian koa wood triple-coated with a special Stradivarius-type lacquer, the Crimson uses 24-karat gold coils and a cantilever that is solid boron with a VDH Type 1s (2×85-micron) stylus. The Crimson XGW Stradivarius is impartial across most of the frequency spectrum (including the presence range), with large macro-dynamics from the power region on down. Quite forceful on transients but less delicately detailed than its twice-as-expensive Colibri XGW Signature Stradivarius cousin, the Crimson counters by surpassing the Colibri in sheer bottom-octave drive on propulsive music. AJ, 279

The optical cartridge with internal LED and photo sensors is a relatively new thing. That the folks at DS Audio are taking the perfection of the concept seriously is shown by the remarkable sonic progress they’ve made from the Nighthawk to the DS-002/003 to this, their new flagship transducer. The Master1 cartridge and Master1 equalizer are simply outstanding components, setting new benchmarks for vinyl playback in several areas (mechanical silence, neutral voicing, and midrange-to-midbass realism). Even where DS Audio’s offerings aren’t setting standards, they are now competitive with the finest coils and moving magnets in all respects. If JV were in the market for a new phono cartridge and he had the money, the Master1 system would be at the very top of his short list of must-hears. JV, 306

Befitting a transducer from Koetsu, the latest Rosewood Signature Platinum mc boasts a midrange to die for. What differentiates it from the other two Rosewood models in the line (the less pricey Rosewood and the Rosewood Signature) are a stiffer body composed of lacquered, aged rosewood, plus the rare platinum magnets and silver-plated 6N copper coils normally reserved for Koetsu’s stone-body cartridges. Along with that famous midband expect a wide-open, highly convincing recreation of the recorded soundstage, with plenty of air and depth, a seductively rich palette of instrumental colors and textures, and plenty of bottom-end wallop. A classic, Koetsu’s Rosewood Signature Platinum seduces our ears, brains, and beings with intellectual and emotional pleasure. JH, 317

The Etna offers the most winning set of attributes that Lyra has produced. Vocals have a physicality and palpability that provide an unprecedented realism. The sense of snap and pacing is also exemplary. A silky continuity that eluded previous Lyra efforts is also abundantly apparent, partly a product of very quiet backgrounds. Careful matching with a phonostage will be necessary, especially in the case of the Super Low (SL) version, which outputs a mere 0.25mV. But this amazing cartridge will take most vinyl reproduction to a new level. AT, 305

My Sonic Lab is one of those little cartridge companies that are unknown to all but a lucky few. The design goal was to increase a moving-coil’s output signal without also increasing the number of coil turns. (More coil turns result in losses of detail and bandwidth.) The discovery of a new core material (SH-ÊX) allowed the designer to replace the commonly used iron alloys and create his dream mc, with the lowest amount of signal loss combined with the highest relative output. The Signature Gold hits all the right notes: It tracks like crazy, delivers exceptional detail, energy, and dynamics, and generates a holographic soundstage with spot-on imaging, as well as a great purity of tone and “your-are-thereness.” WG, 317

Using neither magnets nor coils, Soundsmith’s strain-gauge cartridge generates a signal via a crystal that modulates the flow of DC through it in response to pressure generated by stylus movement. This scheme requires a specialized preamplifier to deliver this DC, and to decode the audio signal. The sonic virtues of the Soundsmith system include extremely low noise, a highly resolved soundstage, and natural rendering of timbre. Price varies according to the preamplifier’s features, display, and number of inputs. AHC, 201

The Etna offers the most winning set of attributes that Lyra has produced. Vocals have a physicality and palpability that provides an unprecedented sense of realism. The sense of snap and pacing is also exemplary. A silky continuity that eluded previous Lyra efforts is also abundantly apparent, partly a product of very quiet backgrounds. Careful matching with a phonostage will be necessary, especially in the case of the Super Low (SL) output version, which supplies as mere 0.25mV. But this amazing cartridge will take most vinyl reproduction to a new level. JHb, 266
(Lambda version review forthcoming)