Sumiko Starling Moving Coil Cartridge Reviews

4.8 Rating 12 Reviews

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909.931.9686

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“Still in the break in period. Moved from an Ortofon Black MM. Was looking for less listening fatigue and better detail. This cartridge is giving me both.”

3 Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I want to describe this cartridge as I would for any newbie audiophile. I upgraded from a Sumiko Bluepoint #2, which to me sounded great. I just wanted to see if something in the Starling price-range was really worth it. Plenty of people told me that upgrading from what I had would make things sound insanely better--- and they were right. After an install, the first LP I put on was Miles Davis- "Kind of Blue" 180gr. Before I switched, this LP sounded amazing and had some depth of sound/detail and instrumental separation. With the Starling cartridge installed the soundstage opened up WAY more and the amount of depth went off the freaking charts. It legit sounded like I was sitting in the front row watching a a live performance. My second benchmark LP was the Beatles "White Album" in Mono and it the Starling again turned a good LP into something special. Every single LP & 45 that I have played since I upgraded has been like listening to something new. The Sumiko Starling expands your existing soundstage by just getting every single detail out of your record grooves. It makes good LP's sound better. The caveat is that it also makes bad LP's sound worse, as it exposes the lackluster quality of a bad pressing. The only other slight issue is that as opposed to an elliptical stylus which can handle a scratched LP just fine, the Starling will skip if there is a scratch. I am blown away with how much the Starling has improved the sound of my vinyl collection. It was WELL WORTH THE BUY!!!”

4 Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Hi Phillip, Thank you so much for your detailed review. These really help other customers who are trying to decide which cartridge to buy, and often help us get a better sense of how these sound in different situations. It's pretty amazing to feel as if Miles has popped over and is playing just for you!

Posted 2 years ago

Gregory Arnold

Verified Reviewer

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Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Great open, detailed sound. Seems to provide a lot of performance at a reasonable cost.”

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Posted 4 years ago