Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC ☆ ES Moving Iron Cartridge Reviews

5 Rating 13 Reviews

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Horacio Jervis

Verified Reviewer

“This Zephyr MIMC is a remarkable cartridge. I had been using either a low output Grado Sonata 2 or a Shelter 501 III, both wonderful cartridges. I have been using the MIMC for 4 months on a VPI Classic with a 3D Reference Arm, running into a Bob’s Device SKY 10 (14dB gain @ 1880 ohms, which I preferred over the 20dB @ 470 ohm setting), then into a Manley Chinook SE MKII set at 50dB/50pF @ 47,000 ohms, and into a PrimaLuna EVO 300 preamp. What stood out first for me was how absolutely quiet the cartridge is. So quiet, that at first I kept finding myself checking to see if the volume was turned up on the preamp whenever I placed the tone arm onto the lead in grooves of a record. Additionally, I have played records that were cleaned but still sounded noisy with my previous cartridges that literally played back mint quiet with the MIMC, this alone is worth the investment for me. The MIMC offers a truly 3 dimensional, holographic presentation with the widest soundstage I’ve ever heard in my system. The midrange is rich, vibrant, with fleshed out palpable vocals. Imaging, definition and layering all improved in relation to my previous cartridges. As one can imagine, the deep black background offered by the MIMC really enhances all the dimensiones of analog playback. Simply Seductive. I really love this cartridge.”

3 Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Mark Christiansen

Verified Reviewer

“I’ve been playing this cartridge for about a month now and I really can’t name any weaknesses. As I write, I’m listening to Eminem and the bass is awesome. I’m a big fan of female vocalists and the Zephyr delivers there too. I have A-B’d it against high res digital and the high end isn’t lacking either. I’m running it at 2 grams on a 10.5” VPI gimbal tonearm.”