AVID HIFI BORON MC CARTRIDGE REVIEW

The AVID HIFI Boron Cartridge is a £4000 moving coil design using a boron cantilever and micro-ridge stylus. Stuart Smith bolts it onto one of his record players and takes a listen for HiFi Pig.

The Boron is a low output moving coil cartridge with a Boron cantilever.

I love cartridges and have a small collection of them that cost from a few hundred quid to around five thousand. They’re like little jewels of HiFi loveliness and all have their own characteristics. I will say it again, as I’ve said in previous reviews of cartridges – invest in your transducers! Of course, everything else in-between the cartridge and loudspeakers is very important, but, for me, it is these two elements that perhaps have the biggest effect on overall sound quality, with the proviso that everything else is in place. I’m sure there will be folk who disagree with this comment. You really can dramatically, and obviously, shape the sound of a system with a cartridge change, though getting the best, like fine jewellery, costs a lot. Yes, most cartridges look similar, but small changes in their make-up can significantly alter the sound that comes out of your speakers. However, and as I’ve touched upon, like jewellery, cartridges can be eye-wateringly expensive.

Don’t be put off by the naked cantilever, it’s no more difficult than any other cartridge to fit and align is care is taken.

Enter the AVID HiFi Boron low-output moving-coil cartridge that will set you back £4000 and falls between AVID’s flagship Reference Ruby (£6000) and their Ionic (£2000) cartridges. Apart from the body colour, all three of the AVID cartridges look the same and all are low output moving-coil designs. All three output 0.32mV, all have the same compliance, the same internal impedance, and all weigh the same 9.1g. So, dear reader, you may be wondering where the differences in these three cartridges lie and what justifies the huge differences in price. As far as I can see, the differences are that the Reference Ruby has a solid ruby cantilever, the Boron has a rigid Boron cantilever and the Ionic has an aluminium tube for its cantilever. On top of the cantilever differences, the Reference Ruby and the Boron have a micro-ridge diamond styli, whilst the Ionic has an elliptical stylus. In theory, the micro-ridge should give a better contact radius, which in turn should allow for better high-frequency response and essentially track the groove more effectively. Micro-ridge styli are more expensive to make and so this, in part, justifies the more expensive two cartridges in the range. The difference between the Reference Ruby and the Boron is, as far as I can see, the material used for the cantilever and what gives each of these cartridges their names – the Ruby uses a ruby cantilever and, you guessed it, the Boron uses a Boron cantilever. If you are seriously considering the Ruby or the Boron cartridge then I would strongly urge you to go to a bricks and mortar dealer and compare the two for yourself as this is the only way you will be able to decide whether it is worthwhile you spending an extra £2000 on the Reference Ruby.

However, we are not here to compare the AVIDs against each other, and I don’t have the Ruby here to compare the Boron with, anyway. What I will try to do in this review is to outline, as I see them, the key characteristics of the AVID Boron and compare it to what I do have to hand.

FEATURES AND BUILD

The cartridge arrives in cool packaging that is befitting of its jewel-like status and is a doddle to fit, though set up with the exposed cantilever is one that needs to be done with a steady hand – an excellent stylus guard is provided.

Recommended tracking weight is 2g.

For the purposes of this review I’m using the Technics 1200g, and whilst I have turntables from SME and Origin Live, I find the Technics allows for easy and consistent set-up and simple A/B comparisons. It’s also a very accomplished record player in its own right!

Two screws into the body of the cartridge to bolt it onto the headshell, align and set the VTA and you are ready to play music.

Phonostage for the duration was the LAB12 melto set to a 100ohm load as suggested by the Boron’s manual.

A look at the boron from the side. You should just be able to see the micro-ridge stylus.

SOUND AND MUSIC

For tracking ability I tend to turn to the Ortofon test record as it’s a consistent and reliable benchmark. The Lateral Tracking Ability tracks are a perfect test as are the 1000Hz Reference Tones (L/R) for channel separation.

Channel separation using the test record was bang on and with zero bleed-over, and, as far as I could hear, identical levels both left and right.

Tracking was perfect from the initial set up and the Boron sailed through all of the tracking tests without any issue at all.

To be honest, I’d be disappointed if a cartridge costing this much had any problems with the above tracks, once set up and aligned properly.

Now all that’s well and good, but what really matters once the basic questions of “can it track and is channel separation acceptable” are answered, is how the cartridge sounds with real records playing real music. After all, we don’t (I hope) sit at home listening to test tones all day…you don’t, do you?

Surface noise should be low given the shape of the stylus and it was.

In use, the Boron is dynamic and detailed.

First track up is pretty much a given and, for me, is almost as useful a test track as the Ortofon test record is. I’m referring, of course, to the last track on Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories, Contact. It’s a tough track to get right and is full of noises and frequencies that can prove problematic. It’s also full of noises that can remain buried unless the stylus is doing its job properly. I have no complaints with the AVID Boron and I’m presented with a dynamic and information-rich rendition of the record. Synth noises at the start of the track were full and textured, and the huge intro chords were excellent. The overall character of the Boron is detailed and with excellent high-frequency reach, but without straying into the realms of being overbearing or too much. The end of the track has a persistent synth noise that gets higher and higher and it can sound harsh and horrible, but the Boron renders this fine and without it getting irritating. Likewise, the mess of noise at the end of the track isn’t really a mess when the cartridge manages to separate it into its constituent parts as the Boron does.

The Street’s Original Pirate Material is twenty years old this year and it’s been a regular on our turntables over those two decades – and so it finds itself on the 1200 once again. The Boron is clearly pulling detail from the grooves in spades and I’m really drawn to the snares and hi-hat sounds in the tracks. These sounds can get hidden in the rest of the track and a bit lost but the Boron is very similar to our Hana Umami in getting these sounds to be individual parts of the mix. These tracks in the mix are also presented really solidly in the soundstage adding to a feeling of solidity to the music. Obviously, this is a  bass-heavy album, but rather than allowing the lower frequencies to over-dominate the music the Boron puts forward a very balanced but nuanced depiction of the tunes.

Random Audio’s  Engineers Of The Other Space is a busy techno EP that is subtle, clever and full of small noises and effects. The Boron has no trouble conveying the detail and dynamics of this record. And, overall, this is what impresses me with this cartridge – there’s a sense of this being a full frequency reproduction but without any harshness or exaggeration of what is on the record. This makes for a listening experience that whilst being exciting and involving, doesn’t bombard the listener with a tonality that becomes overbearing or tiring to listen to. That lack of surface noise also helps in this respect. What jumps out from this record is the way that the mix is presented in front of me and the way the myriad sounds appear in the stereo soundstage. Of course, the test record I used at the start of this review period suggested that this would be the case, but it’s much better to have that confirmed with real music. Real music has nuances, sounds that come and go, and small details that you just can’t get from a test record. There really is a rock-solid way that the individual sounds appear pin-point in the soundstage with small sounds way back in the mix still being easily perceptible. Plugging in the Hana Umami there’s a feeling of the cartridges having fairly similar characteristics – both are very dynamic, full-frequency without being overbearing and both track very well across the frequency range. If anything I’d say the Hana was ever so slightly more detailed through the hats on the same track, but it’s a close call. I’d also say the Hana had a little more air around the top end. Now, that’s not to say one is necessarily better than the other and this is where your own personal taste will come into play, as it should! Mounting our Gold Note Tuscany Red, I’d suggest that at the top-end this cartridge is a little more open again when playing the same track and a small whistle sound that is way back in the mix is ever so slightly more pronounced in the mix than with the other two cartridges. The Gold Note will cost you another chunk more than the Boron and the Boron is a bit more than the Hana. All three cartridges offer a high level of neutrality with slight nuances in presentation being different.

A useful guard is included to protect the cartridge.

Changing the pace a little and out comes Hawkwind’s PXR5 and the Boron proves itself to be highly capable. Vocals are clear and distortion-free and again there’s bags of detail being pulled out from the vinyl. I’m really impressed with this cartridge’s ability to really get that top-end detail out into the room without it being overly pushed – and there are a lot of noses on this record that can sound pretty awful on some systems. I have no complaints with the Boron. The bassline on High-Rise is spectacularly good with the Boron in place, as are the toms on the title track – there’s a real sense of reality and being there that I found utterly exhilarating.

QUIBBLES

I don’t really have many quibbles with this cartridge, though the price may put some people off – then that goes for all cartridges at this kind of level.

The naked styling (the cantilever is out there to be snaggled if you aren’t careful) will worry some people, but care should be taken with any cartridge. Give it respect and it won’t be a bother.

Other cartridges I have to hand offered a touch more air at the top end, but it wasn’t night and day.

CONCLUSION

The AVID Boron is a highly accomplished cartridge, and so it should be when the asking price is £4000. However, I prefaced this review by saying that you should spend your money on your transducers and the Boron backs this statement up. Yes, it’s a lot of money, but it’s money well spent. Whether you prefer the flavour of something else is down to your taste, but I will say that if you have this kind of money to splash on a cartridge (and once you do, there’s no turning back) you should have this one on your shortlist.

The main themes I drew from my time with the Boron was an overall sense of detailed neutrality allied with great dynamics.

Sounds and details in the stereo mix are rock solid and the cartridge tracks beautifully with nothing I threw it throwing up any kind of hissy fit on the part of the AVID.

AT A GLANCE

Build and Features:

Suitably cool packaging

Excellent pull-out protector for when not in use

Easy to set up if you take care, though the cantilever’s nude stylings will put some off

Sound Quality:

What’s not to like?

Detailed and balanced sounding across the frequencies

Excellent portrayal of top frequencies without any harshness at all

Easy to get on with an engaging and dynamic presentation

Tracks excellently

Value For Money:

There’s no getting away from it, cartridges at this level do feel expensive. However, the AVID is no different to others that offer this level of fidelity. If you have the funds then you should check this out with others to see if it floats your particular boat and matches your own expectations. At the end of the day, if you spend £4000 on this having heard it you are unlikely to feel the need to stray or go chasing anything else

We Loved:

A balanced and open sound with a dynamic and detailed presentation that didn’t feel pushed or overdone

Easy to listen to for long periods

We Didn’t Love So Much:

Not much to be honest, it’s a very good cartridge that I could easily live with

Price: £4000

Elevator Pitch Review: AVID HIFI’s Boron cartridge falls in the middle of their three cartridge offering but the cost still places it in high-end territory. Whilst it is no more difficult than any other cartridge to set up it does have a “naked” cantilever and stylus. It has a micro-ridge stylus and Boron cantilever to produce a detailed and open sound that is dynamic and engaging. Whilst £4000 is a lot of money, the Boron has a performance that is justifiable when taken in the context of the price of similarly performing low-output moving coil cartridges.

Review Equipment: Technics 1200G turntable, LAB12 melto 2 phonostage, Krell KST100 and LAB 12 suara amplifiers, Audiovector R6 loudspeakers. Cables by Atlas, Tellurium Q and WAY. 

SUPPLIED BY AVID HIFI

Stuart Smith

SPECIFICATIONS