Головки звукоснимателя — Kensington Audio C-600

The C-600 is the second of five hand-built MC cartridges built by Kensington Audio, a UK firm that is part of the Talk Electronics group with more than a quarter century of British hi-fi design and production behind it. Musicians assemble each unit by hand in Britain. The C-600 sells for GBP 849.95 and combines a rigid boron cantilever with an elliptical stylus, which Kensington says is intended to retrieve more detail from the groove with lower distortion.

Key specs that matter

Output is 0.45 mV, measured at 1 kHz with a groove velocity of 5 cm per second. Frequency response extends from 20 Hz to 25 kHz, held within plus or minus 2 dB. Stereo separation exceeds 30 dB, and left and right output match to within 1 dB. The coil impedance is 5 ohm, with a suggested load of 100 ohm. Compliance is 15 to 20 cu, the tracking force window is 1.3 to 1.5 grams, and the design assumes a vertical tracking angle of 20 degrees. The cartridge weighs 10 grams.

Engineering and use context

Against the entry C-500, which uses an aluminium cantilever, the C-600 changes to boron and extends the upper response limit, while output drops slightly. The coils use 4N OCC copper, described by the maker as ultra-pure, the same coil material found in the C-500 and C-700. Kensington states that the C-600 aims for high tracking accuracy and a stable stereo field. Kensington launched in September 2025 with a line of five models running from the C-500 at GBP 599.95 up to the C-900 at GBP 2,999.95, which uses a sapphire cantilever. Kensington sells its cartridges directly and is looking for partners to handle distribution outside the UK. The company calls its philosophy musician-led. Kensington runs a 30-Day Hire Scheme that lets a buyer try a cartridge first, and it provides product registration along with warranty and repair support.

Pairing

Given its low output and coil impedance, the C-600 needs an MC phono preamplifier, or else a step-up transformer, set to the load Kensington suggests. Any tonearm used should match the cartridge weight and tracking force window given above.

Alternatives

The Kensington Audio C-700 sits above it, retaining a boron cantilever but adding a fine line elliptical stylus, 0.35 mV output and a 200 ohm recommended load.