Sumiko Wellfleet MM Cartridge
Sumiko Phono Cartridges is pleased to premiere Wellfleet, the newest addition to the Rainier collection. The brand has applied and upgraded its award-winning design of the Moonstone cartridge, retuning the suspension for optimal performance of a nude elliptical diamond with the existing generator and resonance-optimized housing found in the rest of the Rainier series.
Wellfleet utilizes a highly polished nude elliptical stylus, eliminating the bonding between the stylus tip and shank. With the new assembly, excessive mass in the shank is cut away to further reduce tip mass, resulting in a faster, more direct, and more accurate response of the stylus’ movement by the cantilever and magnet. Sonically, this increases speed and focuses central images, pulling them toward the listener with a heightened sense for detail.
With the Wellfleet, vocals are immediate, clear, and detailed, the warmth of human vocal work becomes more apparent with hints of rasp and emphasized subtleties, boosted by tight and well controlled bass. Backing vocals become easier to discern, and the listener is able to identify distinct instrumentation such as the rattle of snare wires, or the woody twang of a vintage acoustic guitars. Listeners will hear an improvement in surface noise and sense a more distanced backdrop, facilitating a deeply suspended image.
Flexibility remains paramount in the brand’s offerings. 5 stylus variations capable of utilizing this generator are currently available . Rainier owners can upgrade to Olympia, Moonstone and now Wellfleet with a simple stylus swap (and let’s not forget RS 78!).
Mass & Dimension
6.5g, 17.2 x 18.8 x 29mm (WxHxD)
Stylus
0.3 x 0.7mil Nude Elliptical
Cantilever
⌀0.5mm Aluminum Pipe
Coils
High-Purity Copper
Internal Impedance
1,130Ω
Load Impedance
47kΩ
Frequency Response
12Hz – 33kHz
Output
3.0mV
Channel Separation
30dB @ 1kHz
Channel Balance
0.5dB @ 1kHz
Compliance
13×10-6cm/dyn @ 100Hz
Capacitance
100pF – 200pF
Vertical Tracking Angle
26°
Tracking Force Range
1.8g – 2.2g
Recommended Tracking Force
2.0g
Replacement Stylus Unit
RS Rainier, Olympia, Moonstone, Wellfleet, Amethyst or RS 78