Cartridges — Hyper Analogue Production Hyper Sonic X4

The Hyper Sonic X4 is a moving coil phono cartridge and the first product of Hyper Analogue Production, a company started by four friends - Gary Koh of Genesis Advanced Technologies, the Bangkok music producer Wuti Larnroongroj, TK Han and Richard Tin. The cartridge went through many prototype versions before release. After three years of development, it is built to the company's specifications by a Swiss cartridge maker, with Micha Huber of HiFiction AG and Bob Clarke of Profundo Audio named as design partners. The retail price is USD 18,000.

Key specs that matter

Output voltage is 0.3 mV at 5 cm/s, and internal impedance is 2.3 ohm. The recommended load spans 50 to 1500 ohm. Frequency response is listed from 10 Hz to 20 kHz within 2 dB. Recommended tracking force is 2 g with a tolerance of 0.1 g, and the Swiss-built body brings the total to 8.2 g.

Engineering and use context

At the centre of the generator sits a proprietary multi-layer core combined with a new, stronger magnet alloy shaped to focus the magnetic flux, so that the required output is reached with a smaller number of coil turns. Hyper Analogue describes the X4 as a no-holds-barred design, and its parts come from Swiss and German suppliers. The coils are wound from high-purity fine silver wire. The cantilever is solid diamond, reinforced with a hardened titanium sleeve, and carries a Micro-Ridge diamond stylus with a highly polished tip. The body is machined from titanium in a rose gold finish, its surface hardened by shot peening, and three tungsten inserts are placed inside it for inertial stability and resonance damping. A titanium superstructure holds the generator assembly rigidly in place. Gold-anodized titanium mounting screws are supplied in three lengths.

Pairing

The 0.3 mV output places the X4 among low-output moving coil designs, so it is intended for a phono stage with a dedicated MC input or for use with a step-up transformer. When a transformer is chosen, its ratio is matched against the low internal impedance, while an active MC stage can be set anywhere within the recommended load range. The maker quotes a compliance of 10 um/mN, and together with the body weight it determines which tonearm effective mass gives a suitable arm and cartridge resonance frequency.

Alternatives

Hyper Analogue Production currently makes no other cartridge beyond the Hyper Sonic X4.