Головки звукоснимателя — Audio Note IQ I

The IQ I is the entry point of the IQ moving-magnet cartridge range from Audio Note (UK), a series of three models that share a common body shell and differ mainly in cantilever and diamond. Above it sit the IQ II, which keeps the aluminium cantilever and moves to an Audio Note Type 2 diamond, and the IQ III with a titanium cantilever. Black is the only finish listed.

Key specs that matter

A Gyger diamond sits at the tip of an aluminium tube cantilever, and the coils are wound from extremely fine copper wire of four-nines purity. Audio Note quotes a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz within 2 dB, with a sensitivity of 6.5 mV (plus or minus 1.5 dB) at 1 kHz and 5 cm/sec. Internal resistance is 660 ohm and internal inductance 570 mH. Channel separation is 25 dB and channel balance 2 dB, both at 1 kHz. Static compliance is 24 mm lateral and 16 mm vertical, equivalent tip mass is 0.45 mg, and the vertical tracking angle is 24 degrees. The cartridge weighs 6.3 g and tracks between 1.5 and 2.5 g, with 1.75 g as the nominal force. Mounting uses standard 12.7 mm fixing centres.

Engineering and use context

The body is moulded from Pocon, a rigid yet light polymer, with threaded inserts built into the shell. Screwing the headshell bolts directly into these inserts, instead of using loose nuts, is intended to give a firmer mechanical bond between cartridge and headshell. Audio Note gives the IQ I a suspension that is stiffer than is usual for moving-magnet cartridges in this class. The complete stylus assembly pulls out of the body, so a worn tip can be replaced without changing the generator. Because all IQ stylus assemblies are interchangeable, an owner can later fit the IQ II or IQ III assembly to the same body and move up the range at the cost of a stylus alone.

Pairing

Audio Note designed the IQ I to be loaded at 47 kOhm by an MM-compatible phono stage. Total capacitance in parallel, which includes the tonearm lead as well as the input of the phono stage, should stay within 150 to 200 pF and must not exceed 200 pF. The output is high enough that no step-up transformer or moving-coil gain stage is needed.

Alternatives

The Audio Note IQ II uses the same Pocon body and aluminium cantilever as this model but carries the upgraded Audio Note Type 2 diamond.