Cartridges — Benz Micro ZEBRA

Benz Micro, the Swiss cartridge specialist, introduced the Zebra MC as its first new cartridge model from the brand in more than a decade. It borrows its outer parts from the Ruby Z, above all the zebra wood body that gives it its name, and pairs them with the generator used in the Wood series. It comes in three output versions - Zebra L, Zebra M and Zebra H - so one design can be matched to phono stages with quite different gain. In the current catalogue it sits next to the LP-S, the Ruby Z and the SLR Gullwing.

Key specs that matter

Rated output at 3.54 cm/s is 0.4 mV for the L, 0.8 mV for the M and 2.5 mV for the H, with internal impedance of 12, 24 and 95 ohm respectively. A solid boron rod cantilever of 0.28 mm diameter holds a mirror polished nude diamond of line contact shape and a 3 x 60 micron tip profile. Frequency response is 20 Hz to 20 kHz within 1 dB, channel separation is better than 35 dB at 1 kHz and channel balance is held within 0.5 dB. Dynamic compliance is 15 micron per mN. The cartridge weighs 9.6 g, the vertical tracking angle is 20 degrees, and the tracking force window is 1.7 to 2.0 g, with 1.7 to 1.8 g given as the optimum.

Engineering and use context

The body is machined from zebra wood and vented. The wood is denser and more costly than the material of earlier Benz wooden bodies, and the maker chose it for better control of resonance in the housing. Inside sits the classic Benz generator built around a pure iron cross, the same motor type as in the Wood SL, which is the direct predecessor of the Zebra L. Benz fits solid boron cantilevers across its whole range because the material combines high stiffness with low mass, which lets the stylus movement reach the coils with little loss. With its high output, the H version can run into a standard moving magnet phono input, while the L and M need a dedicated moving coil stage or a step-up transformer.

Pairing

With its medium compliance and body mass, Benz lists medium to high mass tonearms as the right match. Recommended loading is 100 ohm to 47 kohm for the L and M versions and 1 kohm to 47 kohm for the H version. At 0.4 mV the L asks for a quiet stage with plenty of gain, so the M version is the more flexible choice when the phono preamplifier offers only moderate moving coil gain.

Alternatives

The Benz Micro Ruby Z uses the same zebra wood body with a square ruby coil plate and 0.34 mV output.