Carmen MkII

Just wanted to let you know how much I LOVE the SoundSmith Carmen Mk II phono cartridge. I had been using an Ortofon 2M Black and an Audio-Technica VM740ML on my Thorens TD-150 w/ Rega RB-202 tonearm for about 6 months. not being satisfied with either of their performance, I decided to get a "real" phono cartridge. I purchased the Carmen Mk II from Music Direct and I must say, after installing it and listening for the last several weeks, it is without a doubt one of the best purchases I have ever made in Hi-Fi. I am now hooked on SoundSmith cartridges and I must say I will never be able to go back to mass-produced Phono Cartridges!

The very first thing that stood out to me was perfect Channel Balance which was something the Ortofon and AT both were not so good at. Also, the faithfulness of reproduction is breathtaking. I wish I would have purchased a SoundSmith cartridge a decade ago!

Joe Aschwanden

They Said What?

I played this album a few times on my system before adding the Zephyr MK III ES. I found it far superior to the CDs I'd listened to, with excellent tone on Miles' trumpet and a deep and wide soundstage. But when I listened to it the first time with the Zephyr MK III ES, it was another level of cool. Right off the bat, the surface noise was down, significantly. Secondly, the soundstage was deeper and wider than I have ever heard on my system before. James Cobb's snare had more snap and his high hat took on more air. Song after song, I was completely engaged in the music.