Sumiko- out of production

[Chet63]

while i am thinking about some starter sumiko carts they were out of production....did anyone knows why they were canceled oyster, pearl, and black pearl? i don't have any data, but they looks mildly popular, and have some solid fan base during the years...

the first offer now is sumiko rainer which locally cost 180 euros...it looks like they are abandoning 50-150 euros market...maybe in mk2 versions?

 

[jrtrent]

while i am thinking about some starter sumiko carts they were out of production....did anyone knows why they were canceled oyster, pearl, and black pearl? i don't have any data, but they looks mildly popular, and have some solid fan base during the years...

Sorry to hear that. The Black Pearl was my favorite cartridge on a Denon DP-300F, and the inexpensive Oyster was a noticeable improvement over the VM95C I had been using on an AT-LP120XUSB. In a Rega RP3, that cheap Oyster was also better than the Rega Bias 2 that I had high hopes for.

 

[ripblade]

Eventually, the dies used to make the parts wear out or no longer meet production standards. Popular items will be retooled but some manufacturers choose to offer new models to stir interest or to justify the price increase retooling incurrs.

 

[sound hound]

It does seem, though, that Sumiko still makes styli for the Oyster cartridge, just not the body anymore.

 

[cafe latte]

Eventually, the dies used to make the parts wear out or no longer meet production standards. Popular items will be retooled but some manufacturers choose to offer new models to stir interest or to justify the price increase retooling incurrs.

They are made by the Excel Corporation who makes Garrott Brothers cartridges too which are identical, also Jico again the same. LP gear vessel is identical to the lower output Amethyst and much much cheaper.
Chris

 

[justjed2]

The Vessel line also has some good stylus/cantilever combinations, as well as some competitive prices.

 

[lini]

At least in case of the Pearl and Black Pearl I could imagine, that these became less interesting, after the tip shapes had been downgraded from 0.2 x 0.8 mil to 0.3 x 0.7 mil and from 0.5 mil to 0.7 mil.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[Chet63]

one thing for sure, at least for me, new generation of sumiko are ugly as hell with those protruding styluses and weird profile they looks like some 10 years old kid made cartridge in his garage...

 

[jrtrent]

one thing for sure, at least for me, new generation of sumiko are ugly as hell with those protruding styluses and weird profile they looks like some 10 years old kid made cartridge in his garage...

I can't say I ever gave any thought to its looks, but a few reviews have made comments similar to this one from What HiFi, "This Sumiko is a thoughtful design that’s easy to fit thanks to captive nuts inset into the body and sensibly squared off edges that make fitting and alignment a breeze."

There are a few reasons, though, why I doubt I'll ever own one, with the reason you mentioned, price, being a major one. In the USA, it's $199 for the cartridge with replacement styli at $149. The stylus life estimate for a .3 X .7 mil elliptical tracking at 2 grams is 300 hours, and that's simply more than I want to pay every five or six months (at my current level of usage) to enjoy my records, especially when a $36 stylus gives me so much pleasure.

I've spent most of the last four and a half years since returning to vinyl really enjoying an AT3600L. Last year, I spent some time with an AT-VM95 body and a few of its stylus options (liking the ATN-XP3 best), but I found the VM95 ultimately less satisfying and returned to the AT3600L. Somehow, it just really fits my ears well. One reviewer (whose article you've seen before) used the word charm or charming six times in his write-up, and I can't think of a better way to describe it.

Audio Technica AT3600L + AT91

Type: Moving Magnet (MM)Stylus: Bonded ConicalCompliance: Low/MediumPrice: £15-25 (AT3600L), £20-30 (AT91) Background The Audio Technica AT3600L is a cartridge that I briefly experienced as the sto…

phono-cartridge-reviews.co.uk