Sumiko Black Pearl Moving Magnet Cartridge
- Free Mainland UK Shipping on orders over £100
- Official Hi-Fi Retailer since 1973
- Usually in stock and dispatched in 1-5 working days
We offer free delivery on all orders over £100 to mainland UK. Orders under £100 will be subject to a shipping charge starting at £4.50, where you may select a more premium option if desired.
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We aim to dispatch in-stock items as soon as possible provided that we physically have the stock - but please note that sometimes we have to order from our supplier for certain products.
Tracking details or estimated delivery timescales will be provided once your order has been processed. If there are any delays due to stock availability, we will contact you as soon as possible with the option to wait or receive a full refund. In most cases however, orders are fulfilled within 1-5 working days.
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You can cancel your order within 14 days of receiving your goods, in line with UK distance selling regulations. Once you’ve notified us, you have a further 14 days to return the item. Please contact us by email, phone or in writing before sending anything back.
Items must be returned in original condition and packaging, including all accessories, manuals and any promotional items. The cost of return is your responsibility and we strongly recommend insuring the goods, as refunds cannot be issued for damaged or incomplete returns. If items show excessive handling, are missing components, or cannot be resold as new, a reasonable deduction may be made.
Please note that used headphones (for hygiene reasons) and custom or special-order items cannot be returned. If you need assistance arranging a return, we’re always happy to help.
Product Summary
The Sumiko Black Pearl is a moving-magnet phono cartridge from the classic Oyster Series, designed to provide an affordable upgrade for a wide range of turntables and tonearms. Building on the smooth and musical character of the entry-level Oyster, the Black Pearl uses an improved generator to deliver greater channel separation, a wider frequency response and a more spacious stereo presentation.
Its 0.7mil spherical stylus provides forgiving and dependable groove tracking, making the Black Pearl particularly well suited to everyday record collections and listeners who value a smooth, balanced presentation. The stylus is mounted on an aluminium-pipe cantilever, while high-purity copper coils are used within the moving-magnet generator.
Compared with the standard Oyster, the Black Pearl is designed to reveal a broader and deeper soundstage, with improved separation between instruments and a greater sense of space within recordings. Its presentation remains characteristically musical and easy to listen to, making it suitable for long listening sessions without becoming overly bright or analytical.
With a healthy 4.0mV output and standard 47kΩ loading requirement, the Black Pearl works with conventional moving-magnet phono stages found in a wide variety of integrated amplifiers, standalone phono preamplifiers and turntables with built-in phono electronics.
The cartridge weighs 6.0g and uses a recommended tracking force of 2.0g, making it physically compatible with a broad range of tonearms. Its user-replaceable RS Black Pearl stylus also allows straightforward servicing when the stylus eventually becomes worn.
Like the wider Sumiko cartridge range, the Black Pearl is hand-assembled by specialist cartridge makers at Excel Sound in Yokohama, Japan. It is designed to provide an accessible combination of refinement, tonal balance and musical involvement without demanding an expensive phono stage or highly specialised turntable setup.
Key Benefits
- Moving-magnet cartridge from Sumiko’s classic Oyster Series
- Improved generator design provides greater channel separation and frequency extension than the entry-level Oyster
- 0.7mil spherical stylus offers reliable and forgiving groove tracking
- Aluminium-pipe cantilever
- High-purity copper coils
- 4.0mV output works with standard moving-magnet phono stages
- Standard 47kΩ load impedance makes system matching straightforward
- Frequency response extends from 18Hz to 27kHz
- 28dB channel separation at 1kHz
- Channel balance of 0.5dB at 1kHz
- Designed to produce a broad, deep and immersive stereo soundstage
- Smooth, balanced and musical presentation suitable for extended listening
- Recommended tracking force of 2.0g
- Lightweight 6.0g construction suits a wide range of tonearms
- User-replaceable RS Black Pearl stylus
- Hand-assembled in Yokohama, Japan
Technical Specifications
Cartridge Design
- Design Principle: Moving magnet
- Series: Sumiko Oyster Series
- Cartridge Mass: 6.0g
- Dimensions (W × H × D): 11.6 x 20.26 x 27.23mm
- Coils: High-purity copper
Stylus & Cantilever
- Stylus Type: Spherical
- Stylus Size: 0.7mil
- Cantilever: Aluminium pipe
- Vertical Tracking Angle: 25°
Electrical Performance
- Output: 4.0mV
- Internal Impedance: 1,130Ω
- Recommended Load Impedance: 47kΩ
- Recommended Capacitance: 100pF - 200pF
- Frequency Response: 18Hz - 27kHz
Channel Performance
- Channel Separation: 28dB at 1kHz
- Channel Balance: 0.5dB at 1kHz
Tracking & Compliance
- Compliance: 12 x 10⁻⁶cm/dyn at 100Hz
- Tracking Force Range: 1.5g - 2.0g
- Recommended Tracking Force: 2.0g
Phono Stage Compatibility
- Designed for standard moving-magnet phono stages
- Recommended Input Load: 47kΩ
- Recommended Capacitance: 100pF - 200pF
- No dedicated moving-coil phono stage is required
Stylus Replacement
- Stylus: User-replaceable
- Replacement Stylus: Sumiko RS Black Pearl
Manufacture
- Hand-assembled by Excel Sound
- Manufactured in Yokohama, Japan
What’s in the Box
- Sumiko Black Pearl moving-magnet phono cartridge
