Just back from a complete rebuild at Soundsmith in a sealed container.
BlackBird High Specifications:
Cartridge Type: High output MC
Stylus Type: Low mass elliptical - Replaced with Soundsmith Optimized Contour Contact Line
Cantilever: Long grain Boron - Replaced with Soundsmith Aluminum Alloy
Dynamic Compliance: (x10-6 cm/dyne)12
Frequency Response: 10Hz-50Khz
Output Voltage/Channel: 2.5mV
Internal Impedance: 135 Ohms
Channel Separation: 35dB @ 1kHz
Channel Balance: 0.5dB @ 1kHz
Tracking Force Range: 1.8 2.2 grams
Cartridge Weight: 9.6 grams
New this cartridge sells for $1249.00
Sell for $600. includes shipping via USPS Prioirty Mail.
"The Blackbird offered a host of musically significant improvements relative to the already good EVO III, with more resolution, better focus, and greater three-dimensionality - all while retaining curcial treble smoothness... The Blackbird supplied a full measure of the openness and resolution that music lovers crave, without the excess brightness that makes some moving coils sound too edgy for their own good." - The Absolute Sound, April/May 2004
"I'm not here to tell you this cartridge is as good as the Lyra Titan - it's not. But the Blackbird is so damn good that, unless you compare it directly with something like the Titan, you might wonder just how much better analog can get. It's that good... The Sumiko Blackbird is a strong Class B cartridge. I highly recommend it." - Michael Fremer, Stereophile Magazine, January 2004
"Sumiko’s Blackbird is one of the finest cartridges I’ve heard in its price range, and it serves as a highly credible "reference cartridge for the real world." - Chris Martens, AVGuide.com, October 2003
