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Carmen mkII

Name: Soundsmith Carmen mkII
Brand: Soundsmith

Soundsmith

AnalogCartridges

Estimated price (community-sourced)

$600 - $1,000

About the Carmen mkII

The Soundsmith Carmen mkII is a high-output moving iron phono cartridge designed to deliver exceptional performance at an accessible price. Crafted with a focus on tonal purity and ultra-smooth presentation, it features a hyper-elliptical nude diamond stylus mounted on an aluminum alloy cantilever. The cartridge is housed in a handmade solid ebony body, contributing to its rich, slightly lush midrange and wide soundstage. With an output of 2.12 mV and a medium compliance of 22 µm/mN, the Carmen mkII is compatible with a broad range of tonearms and works well with most moving magnet (MM) phono preamps. Its low tip mass and fixed coil design provide a resolution advantage over many moving coil cartridges at higher price points. The Carmen mkII is made in the USA and comes with a 2-year warranty for the original owner.

Specifications

Full structured specifications are available to members.

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