The
American
brand
Soundsmith
has
gained
quite
a
lot
of
popularity
as
a
specialist
in
the
reconstruction
of
older
cartridges,
which
it
has
been
doing
since
1972,
when
it
was
founded
by
Peter
Ledermann
just
north
of
New
York.
Its
offer
to
rebuild
worn-out
models
to
"like
new"
condition
for
about
20%
of
the
original
price
is
attractive.
However,
this
is
not
the
only
thing
it
can
do
–
on
the
contrary,
it
also
offers
a
very
wide
portfolio
of
phono
cartridges
with
relatively
original
concepts.
One
such
is
the
Zephyr
MIMC
Star.
At
first
glance,
it
is
a
slightly
more
distinctive,
but
basically
classic
cartridge.
The
body
is
composed
of
quite
sharp
edges,
rendered
in
a
combination
of
gold
and
bright
blue,
the
confluence
of
lines
in
the
front
creates
a
five-
pointed
star.
The
body
is
thus
quite
robust,
weighing
12.2
grams,
and
inside
all
six
sides
are
shielded,
which,
according
to
the
manufacturer,
should
work
as a Faraday cage.
An
interesting
feature
is
the
three
elongated
recesses
on
the
upper
part,
squeezed
between
the
holes
for
the
installation
screws.
This
is
where
you
can
–
if
your
turntable
generates
hum
from
the
ground
loop
in
the
cartridge
area
–
place
the
supplied
sticks,
which
will
isolate
the
chassis
and
break
the
ground
loop.
For
greater
versatility
or
compatibility
with
tonearm
heads,
you
