Swiss audio company Nagra has released its first phono cartridge – the Nagra Reference MC model for the Nagra 70th Anniversary Reference tonearm. The Reference MC cartridge is available in 4 and 6 ohm versions. It uses a multi-layer transducer with a two-layer coil body wound on ultra-pure silver windings. The 6 ohm reference outputs 0.45 mV at 5 cm/s. The 4-ohm reference provides an output voltage of 0.30 mV at 5 cm/s.
The rigid ruby cantilever is connected to a high-strength titanium structure with a DLC (diamond-like carbon) coating. The titanium structure used in the coil body/console interface eliminates the traditional source of resonance and significantly reduces vibration unrelated to the music signal. The stylus tip is a Swiss Fritz Gyger S profile.
For the body, the alloy Exium AM was used, developed for CNES (the French space agency equivalent to NASA), Ecole de Mines de Paris and the French company LBI Foundries. Exium AM has very high damping properties. A patented supermagnesium alloy is used to balance the cartridge body. Cartridge weight 14.3 g, including FGS needle, titanium-ruby cantilever.
The Nagra Reference cartridge fits most tonearms and phono stages, but according to the manufacturer, it achieves its maximum potential when combined with the Nagra Reference turntable/tonearm system and Nagra phono stages.
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