Cartridges — EMT JSD Novel Titan

The JSD Novel Titan is a moving coil stereo cartridge from EMT Tontechnik. The letters JSD stand for Jubilee Stereo Diamond. The Novel Titan is a sibling of the JSD Novel Gold, and both use the EMT multi-layer core transducer paired with a cantilever that combines titanium and sapphire. The Titan version has a titanium body with a DLC coating and coils wound from pure silver, and the outer surface is finished with a matte diamond plating. Each cartridge is handcrafted in Switzerland from titanium, sapphire and silver. List prices are USD 9,495 in North America, around EUR 7,130 in Europe and GBP 6,600 in Britain. Diamond, cantilever, magnet, pin layout, tracking force, output and load advice are identical for both versions.

Key specs that matter

Output voltage is 1 mV at 5 cm/s. EMT gives a frequency response of 20 Hz to 30,000 Hz within 2 dB, an internal impedance of 2 x 16 ohm and a VTA of 23 degrees. Compliance is 12 um/mN. The stylus is an MR HP diamond, where MR means a multi radius shape and HP marks a high polish grade. The magnet is AlNiCo with gold plating. Weight is 13 g.

Engineering and use context

In the multi-layer core design, the sapphire cantilever is inserted into a high-strength titanium structure, and that structure carries a DLC coating. A double layer core is used to cut eddy current losses in the generator. The two versions part ways in body and coil materials - the Gold uses a high density gold-plated body and pure gold coils with a higher impedance of 2 x 20 ohm, and EMT quotes it with a narrower response of 40 Hz to 12,500 Hz. Signal leaves through four pins. EMT presents the new transducer as a change of generator design that still keeps the measured figures the company describes as typical of EMT cartridges over the years.

Pairing

EMT specifies a resistive load of 100 to 200 ohm for the phono input that receives the 1 mV signal. It fits a standard 12.7 mm headshell mount, and the arm has to balance the cartridge at a tracking force of 2.1 g. On the maker side, EMT names all of its cartridges as matching partners for its own 928 II turntable and its current 9-inch tonearm.

Alternatives

The EMT JSD Novel Gold is the sibling moving coil cartridge, with a gold-plated body, pure gold coils and a weight of 18 g.