Soundsmith The Voice ES

New ES Series DEMS Design

Each one hand crafted by Peter Ledermann – Made in  the USA. Rebuild Price? $450 – Less than 20% of MSRP ! ~  The Voice features a 2 year warranty to the original owner

Soundsmith makes a clear statement amidst the other voices of high performance phono cartridges. Our statement?? Ikebana. Less is more.

It overturns the myth that moving coil cartridges are the only path towards perfection. After all, what is the “advantage” of the moving coil type of cartridge? Low effective moving mass, right? We got less. Much less. And if you understand moving mass, Less IS more.

The 40 year evolution of “The Voice” cartridge affords lower effective moving mass than any of them. Far lower. It even has 40% less than our other moving iron designs! Why is that good? Because when you lower the moving mass, it’s easier to control. If it’s easier to control, the stylus can stay in better contact with the groove walls. That’s good, because if you can’t stay in contact with the groove walls, you can’t hear what’s on the record.

Is a moving coil preamp required? No. “The Voice” is designed to be used with a Moving Magnet preamp. No transformers. No finicky multi-stage ultra high gain preamp required. Less is more here, too.

Once you’ve heard “The Voice”, you’ll never go back. The price?? Oh yes, “less is more” applies here too…

What is DEMS?

“Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover.” – Peter Ledermann.

2018’s RMAF show was the official launch of Soundsmith’s new ES series of cartridges, where the attendees experienced the latest exploration into overlooked areas of cartridge design and solutions from Soundsmith.

The ES line features not only a dramatic new look, but is a significant evolution of the DEMS system design (Dynamic Energy Management System). The new Soundsmith ES cartridge designs are a significant advancement in cartridge performance due to their ability to direct internal vibrational forces without reflection and disperse them properly to the tone arm. The absence of reflections enables the stylus to stay in far greater statistical contact with the groove walls — a critically important technical refinement. Increased liquidity and reduced “grain,” without loss of detail are some of the immediately discernible advantages of Soundsmith’s new ES models.

The new line also features Azimuth adjustment built-in to each cartridge, as well as the option for electrical isolation for hum-prone systems.

Every cartridge in Soundsmith’s lineup will now feature our sleek new ES body design. The upgrade is far more than cosmetic; the new shape is a departure from the reflective and “boxy” design of many cartridges whose internal construction contribute to uncontrolled vibrational issues adversely effecting performance. Peter says, “Think of how singing in an open field compares with singing in a shower.” Soundsmith has always challenged conventions, looking deeper into nuances of cartridge design that dramatically affect immediate and long term performance. These have included extreme reductions of moving mass and the use of novel materials and designs. The new ES lineup is a continuation of that research and development.