Головки звукоснимателя — Clearaudio STRADIVARI V2

The Stradivari V2 is a moving-coil pickup with a low signal level from Clearaudio, the analogue company based in Erlangen, Germany, and the current production version is listed as the Stradivari V2.1. Its name refers to the violin maker, and Clearaudio presents it as a design in which construction and choice of materials are pushed as far as the company can take them. The body is ebony fitted with a metal inlay, and the cartridge is assembled by hand.

Key specs that matter

Output is 0.5 mV at a groove velocity of 5 cm/s, with a frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Channel separation lies between 25 and 30 dB, and the two channels are matched to within 0.5 dB. Coil resistance, which Clearaudio lists as cartridge impedance, amounts to 50 ohm. Clearaudio rates tracking ability at 80 µm and asks for a downforce of 2.8 g, plus or minus 0.2 g. Stylus compliance is 15 µ/mN. The cantilever is made of boron and carries a diamond cut to Clearaudio's own Prime Line profile. At 7.0 g complete, the Stradivari is one of the lighter moving-coil bodies in the range, and Clearaudio adds a two-year warranty once the registration card has been returned within 14 days.

Engineering and use context

The generator uses Clearaudio's patented V2 layout with an absolute pivot-symmetrical coil arrangement, and the coils are wound from 24-carat gold wire. The company quotes a dynamic range of 85 dB for the system and credits it to this V2 technology and to the materials used inside. The ebony for the body is stored for months before it is machined, and gold coils sit inside that wooden shell. Under the body sits a precisely ground twelve-fingered platform, which forms the contact surface with the headshell. A boron cantilever is stiff for its weight, so the movement of the Prime Line tip is passed to the gold windings without much bending. Clearaudio describes the whole cartridge as handwork in the micro domain, where exact manufacturing and knowledge of material behaviour decide the result.

Pairing

A signal this small calls for an MC phono input with plenty of amplification, for example one providing around 54 dB or more, or for a transformer that raises the level before an MM stage. Clearaudio's own Smart Phono V2 offers MC loads from 50 ohm to 5 kOhm, so the low-impedance coil can be matched without extra parts. The moderate compliance, low mass and firm downforce suit tonearms of medium effective mass such as the Clearaudio Satisfy Kardan or Tracer.

Alternatives

The Clearaudio Concerto V2.1 shares the output, gold coils and weight of this model but is housed in a satin wood body instead of ebony.