New Miyajima Takumi Stereo L Phono Cartridge

August 27, 2019

Miyajima’s entry-level stereo cartridge, the Takumi, is now also available in a new enhanced ‘L’ edition.

The new ‘L’ edition of Miyajima’s Takumi stereo moving coil cartridge is distinguished by a nude line contact stylus in place of the regular Takumi’s bonded elliptical stylus. The resulting much-lowered tip mass allows the Takumi L to deliver an extended frequency response of 20Hz-32kHz compared to the regular Takumi’s 20Hz-22kHz.

Cross Ring Design

Like all of Miyajima’s stereo cartridges, it features the company’s patented ’cross ring’ design. Noriyuki Miyajima sought to address the traditional problems inherent in moving coil cartridges that result in unwanted resonances, notably the use of a tie-wire to hold the cantilever and coil assembly against the magnet pole piece, and the iron coil former, both of which create distortions. Miyajima discovered a way to side-step these shortcomings entirely, by creating a new cross ring coil structure with a non-magnetic core. Instead of a tie-wire, it uses a pointed slide bar that locates the coil assembly from behind at its pivot point, which is also the centre point of the magnet, while gently pushing the coil assembly against a compliant insert. This means that the coil assembly can pivot unimpeded by a tensioning wire.