Benz Micro Glider SM S Class MC Cartridge 0.8mV - Discontinued

BENZ MICRO GLIDER SM S CLASS MC CARTRIDGE

A recommended component by Stereophile and The Absolute Sound Phono Cartridge of the Year in 2009¹, 2010 and 2011 (January 2010, Issue 199 p.60), the Benz Micro Glider S Class Moving Coil phono cartridge is indeed a very special phono cartridge. The Glider is musically expressive and luscious. It offers superlative tonal balance, addictive inner detail with a dash of warmth that is both airy and honest.

The S Class models of the Benz-Micro Glider now incorporate the Benz Dynascan with Gyger S stylus coupled to improved generators using new coil windings and refined pole pieces/damper designs. Albert Lukaschek began researching increased performance and uniformity of his crosscoil designs while developing the Benz Ebony models.

Experimenting with the length of the solid Boron cantilever revealed how the elasticity of this very stiff material contributed to compliance and trackability. Development of a grooved rear pole piece for countersinking the o-ring damper, first introduced on the Benz Ruby square plate cartridges, was then adapted to the cross coil designs, given their lower contact area and damping characteristics. The lower mass coils and matched cantilevers of the new S Class retain their real world output levels and with their improved styli, offer higher performance. Music lovers are getting the best performance/value ratio in phono cartridges, regardless of output level.

Benz Micro Glider SM S Class MC Phono Cartridge Details
● ~ Features
- Superlative tonal balance and musical honesty
- Clarifies low-level and inner detail
- Excellent spatial delineation between instruments and voices
- Breathtaking bass pitch, timbre and resonance
● ~ Physical
- Type: Moving Coil stereo cartridge
- Cantilever: Solid boron rod with 0.28mm diameter
- Stylus: Nude line-contact diamoind, mirror polished
- Stylus shape: 3 x 60 µm
- Vertical tracking angle (VTA): 20°
- Coil: Pure iron cross coil
- Color: Bronze
- Weight: 6.8 g
● ~ Electrical
- Output voltage at 3.54 cm/s: 0.8 mV
- Internal impedance: 24 ohms
- Frequency response: 20-20,000 Hz +/- 1 dB
- Channel balance: Better than 0.5dB
- Channel separation: Better than 35 dB at 1 kHz
● ~ Dynamic
- Tracking ability at 315 Hz at a tracking force of 2 grams: 80 µm
- Dynamic compliance: 15 µm/mN

Benz Micro Glider SM Setup Instructions
- Recommended loading: 200 - 47,000 ohms
- Tracking force: 1.7 - 2.0 g
- Optimum tracking force: 1.7 - 1.8 grams
- Recommended tonearm mass: Medium
- Optimum working temperature: 23° Celsius
- Break-in period: 40 hours

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Footnote 1: Neil Gader, "TESTED: Benz Micro Glider SM Phono Cartridge" The Absolute Sound (April 10, 2009).