Soundsmith Hyperion OCL Cactus Cantilever w/ Optimized Contour Nude Diamond Stylus

Originally purchased brand new October 2012 played for 25 hours and then returned to factory this past June where Peter Ledermann personally optimized its performance. An additional 10 hours were put on it at that time.

Soundsmith's description:
Further inspired by Frank Schröder, designed and hand built personally by Peter Ledermann..... Soundsmith's top of the line moving Iron cartridge -
The laws of physics dictate how moving systems operate, therefore cartridges must strictly adhere to first principles to get sublime results. In accord with these laws, the Hyperion's Cactus needle Cantilever has the best of all worlds - thanks to Mother Nature. Other Cantilevers are synthesized –we GROW these.
Superior cantilever designs have always employed tapered cantilevers - Hard to do with aluminum, and all but impossible with the super hard and durable materials, such as boron, ruby or diamond. Cantilevers must also have dualistic qualities that are mutually exclusive; both stiffness and damping are required. The tapered, longitudinal stacked columnar fibers, stacked and damped with desiccated resin are exactly what one would build if one could - fortunately “nature” has done it for us. The best of both worlds - extreme rigidity, internal damping, and tremendous strength define what we feel is the best cantilever that can be built. Used in conjunction with our most highly refined Moving Iron cartridge design, the Hyperion has realized our hope - to further resolve our enjoyment of vinyl replay. Our moving iron design allows the required stationary magnetic parts to be rigidly held in exact position at all times thereby allowing dramatic reduction of the moving mass in the generating system.

Our fully shielded design allows totally hum free operation, RF shielding, and extreme mechanical stability.

~ MC Preamp compatible - loading 1K or greater

~ Ultra low effective moving mass resulting in superlative transient and micro detail performance

~ Precision formed Cactus Needle Cantilever (Patents Pending)

~ Optimized Contour Nude diamond styli

~ Composite body featuring impedance matched energy transmission system The Hyperion makes it possible to enjoy the virtues of our low effective moving mass architecture with the finest step ups and phono preamps. (Patents Pending)

~ Tracks from 1.8 to 2.2 grams

~ Channel separation : >36 dB (LT >34dB)

~ Compliance = 10 (LT: 12 vertical/7 Horizontal)

~ Body Weight = 10.25 Grams

~ Output = 0.3mV