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Experience with Sensitive Sound MC cartridges

Would anyone please share their experience with any of the Sensitive Sound MC cartridges from Russia? It's imported by Solypsa Audio in Seattle. I got curious after reading a review of the ART Majestic. It's a relatively new brand; hoping anyone reading has tried it. Thank you. 
audite84
audite84 OP
110 posts
 
@elliottbnewcombjr I did write to Solypsa already. I gave Erik my system particulars and he did not mention any incompatibility in his reply. I plan to mount the Sensitive Sound cartridge on a Jelco TK-950S which is I think a potential good match. I read somewhere that Mr Roman Lebedev, the cartridge designer has a particular affinity for the SME 3012, which he uses to test his cartridges I assume, and the Jelco 950 has the same topology. One thing I like with Sensitive Sound is that all its styli are of a fine profile, namely the Shibata III, Ogura Micro Line, and Micro Ridge. No use of aluminum cantilever either. That means even if I get the entry-level Splash, I could expect a good performance. I haven't decided which to get (probably I'll get the ART Dark), and I was just wondering if anyone has heard any of these cartridges. I'm using an HW-19 MKIII TT and a c-j EF-1 phono stage. 
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,474 posts
 
You are making assumptions and they are the mother of all F--k ups.
You never want to be the first on your block especially with a small and young company. You have no idea what their quality control is like until you have seen a few of them first hand. Anybody can buy pre mounted styli on boron cantilevers. It is how they are installed in the cartridge that counts and that is a very fastidious process requiring very steady hands
and a good microscope. I have seen too many cottage cartridges with crooked and twisted cantilevers. 
I am not saying these are bad cartridges, I am just saying, "Be careful!"
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 

This is funny:


“Each detail of the generator cut from a single piece of a meteorite. Meteorite is a unique material due to extraterrestrial origin.”


If you want a stone cartridge body coming from space... there you go, nice for marketing :)


Seriously, comany address registered in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Maybe some enthusiast can assemble Japanese parts together pretending for something special, but do not expect some secret Russian military factory when it comes to phono cartridges, diamonds or styli... They prefer to make chemical weapon instead.


Made in Russia is not what I’d like to buy myself. Assembled in Russia is not what I’d like to own.


Made in Japan is something I can trust (always).






solypsa's avatar
solypsa
462 posts
 
@chakster Just to clarify a point from your post: The meteorite material referenced  is not stone, it is metal, and used in the generator not the body. Its easy to research these metals. Also basically all high end cartridges are made by an 'enthusiast' so that is a dubious point of contention. Even the big Japanese names are each built by one, or maybe a few artisans...
audite84 OP
110 posts
 
@chakster My impression is that Sensitive Sound is a serious company. If you like, you can explore local Russian makes for us, such as Sensitive Sound and NewArtVinyl mentioned by Elliott. 
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