These look very interesting

Has anyone tried one?

topwing.jp/BlueDragon-en.html

Manager & Product specialist at Rapallo AV & HI-FI

I have heard the Suzaku 'Red Sparrow' (above).
(Brief notes here, 19 Mar - darklantern.proboards.com/thread/865/case-mm-mi-cartridges )

A short session at a pal's but also a new phono preamp, lspkr modifications & on a tonearm that I'd heard only once before
So, not an ideal situation to assess.

However, I thought that I did hear unusual low level detail, ambient info & staging - the best that I'd heard his system sound.
I will return for more

This is a MM cartridge with MC-levels of low output.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Jul 18, 2018 20:27:38 GMT 12 Owen Y said:

I have heard the Suzaku 'Red Sparrow' (above).
(Brief notes here, 19 Mar - darklantern.proboards.com/thread/865/case-mm-mi-cartridges )

A short session at a pal's but also a new phono preamp, lspkr modifications & on a tonearm that I'd heard only once before
So, not an ideal situation to assess.

However, I thought that I did hear unusual low level detail, ambient info & staging - the best that I'd heard his system sound.
I will return for more

This is a MM cartridge with MC-levels of low output.

What was the price of the red sparrow?

And did he source it in New Zealand?

Manager & Product specialist at Rapallo AV & HI-FI

It was a case of "if you have to ask...."

So I thought that it might be gauche to do so

However, I can probably ask about the source.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

aus prices are

The Seiru (Blue Dragon) is $9,400 RRP and Suzaku (Red Sparrow) is $12,500 RRP.

www.stereo.net.au/news/top-wing-handmade-cartridges-now-available

Low output moving magnet? That’s unusual. Low output would mean low impedance and perhaps better frequency response than normal MM, speculating.

AMR-iFi R&D

Yes, output is only 0.2mV(!) & internal impedance only 12.3 ohms.

Top Wing say that they have 'coreless' coils - ie they have removed the magnetically permeable core material & thus have 'air core' coils. They place the coils in a V-formation (like the cutter head), directly above the stylus moving magnet, eliminating long coil pole pieces, shortening the magnetic circuit & reducing magnetic losses they say.

Another big advantage is that the stylus/magnet assembly is easily (factory) replaceable, similar (in principle) to other MMs.

Low output - the coreless coils are likely lower output (than cored coils) & I suspect that the magnet (attached to stylus) has been minimised in size, in order to minimise moving mass.

Image from Top Wing site:




Compared to typical conventional MM construction:

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

I wonder if this will start a trend towards low output MM cartridges with replaceable styli.
Have you heard of any others like this?

AMR-iFi R&D

grado have had low output moving iron cartridges for some time.

going the other way, sumiko have introduced low output versions of their high output moving coils.

Back to TOPWING cartridges - Michael Fremer (STEREOPHILE 9 Mar '21) listens to the TOPWING Suzaku (Red Sparrow).

" This cartridge was all about instrumental colors and textures, somewhat less about hard transients and bright lights. "

" In the right system with the right phono preamp and reproducing the right music (acoustic jazz and classical), the Red Sparrow will make some well-off audiophiles very happy."

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com