Cartridges — Benz Micro REF S

The REF S, sold as the Reference S and in its later form as the Reference S Copper, is a moving-coil cartridge from the Swiss maker Benz Micro. The company was set up by Ernst Benz in 1970 and has been run by Albert Lukaschek since 1994. It sits in the Reference series, where a Reference SL version also appears. In the United Kingdom it was priced at GBP 1,995 including VAT, and the original Reference S is now discontinued.

Key specs that matter

Output is only 0.26 mV at 3.54 cm/s. The stylus is a nude line-contact diamond with a Micro Ridge profile and a mirror polish, with a 3 x 60 µm tip. It is mounted on a solid boron rod 0.28 mm thick and 5.5 mm long. Frequency response is 20 Hz to 20 kHz, channel separation exceeds 35 dB at 1 kHz and channel balance is within 0.5 dB. Compliance is 15 µm/mN, vertical tracking angle is 20 degrees and weight is 9 g. Tracking force is 1.7 to 2.2 g, with 1.75 g suggested as the starting point.

Engineering and use context

The generator is a pure iron cross carrying helically wound copper conductors, and the Copper revision brought a modified boron cantilever and reworked pole pieces, which Benz Micro says give a more efficient magnetic circuit together with better linearity and damping. The body combines wood with copper parts. A running-in period of about 40 hours is quoted before the suspension reaches its intended behaviour.

Pairing

The maker asks for a phono stage with more than 60 dB of gain, so a dedicated MC input or a step-up transformer is needed rather than an MM stage. Recommended loading is above 100 ohm, with 500 ohm to 1 kohm as the best range, so an input with switchable resistance or a transformer with a suitable secondary load is useful. At 9 g and medium compliance, the cartridge fits common medium-mass tonearms.

Alternatives

The Benz Micro LP S is a low-output moving-coil option with an ebony body, a 0.34 mV output, a 38 ohm coil and a weight of 16.4 g.