Sumiko Oriole Low Output Moving Coil Phono Cartridge

Oriole maintains the tonally balanced, refined & fatigueless character for which Sumiko is globally regarded. Enhanced with a high-efficiency, low-impedance generator as well as a nude Shibata line-contact stylus, Oriole confidently asserts itself as a meaningful upgrade from Songbird that approaches the performance of our venerable Starling.  The stylus and generator deliver impeccable detail retrieval, emotionally captivating dynamics, speedy attack and sweet resolution. Deeply musical and endlessly listenable, Oriole is alluring in its wholly analog-sounding character. It portrays musical material in natural balance with its surrounding ambience, and with life-like nuance. Silent in the groove, music blossoms from a jet-black background and invites you into the most intimate spaces of a keenly-rendered soundstage.

Our Reference Series Open-Body MCs

Our Reference Series open-architecture cartridges minimize the potential for coloration and distortion due to energy buildup that is sometimes propagated by the conventional cartridge body. Internal resonance is damped within the generator while remaining resonance travels up through the bonded mounting plate & headblock, then down the tonearm where it is dissipated harmlessly. The PEEK generator mounting plate provides the utmost stability and energy transfer while the stiff alloy headblock is the conduit through which that energy exits the cartridge. The generator itself minimizes distortion and losses through the implementation of pure metals and intelligent orientation of the same. The performance of this sophisticated generator is bolstered by our multi-faceted approach to resonance control, precipitating to clean, musical, and highly listenable sonics.

Hand-Crafted in Japan

Each Sumiko phono cartridge is hand-assembled by the world-class cartridge makers at Excel Sound in Yokohama, Japan – a relationship we’ve proudly maintained for nearly forty years. We use only the finest materials that combine to deliver performance that has enlightened generations of listeners. Each design is thoroughly auditioned until it meets our stringent standards for sound. Production is then executed by expert craftsmen with a collective eye for precision & quality. The result is a family of cartridges that render emotion through tonally balanced, refined and fatigueless analog reproduction.