Sumiko Oriole Moving Coil 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 Oriole is a Reference Series low-output moving-coil phono cartridge designed to combine exceptional detail retrieval with the refined, tonally balanced and fatigue-free presentation for which Sumiko cartridges are known. Positioned above the Songbird and approaching the performance of the flagship Starling, Oriole brings several high-end design features to a highly accomplished open-body moving-coil design.
At the heart of the Oriole is a nude Shibata line-contact stylus measuring 6.5 x 40µm. Its extended contact profile allows the stylus to trace fine groove information with excellent precision, helping recover subtle musical detail, ambience and spatial information while maintaining secure tracking across demanding records.
The stylus is mounted to a reinforced 0.5mm aluminium-pipe cantilever and works with a high-efficiency, low-impedance moving-coil generator using high-purity copper coils. With an internal impedance of just 5.5 ohms and a 0.3mV output, the Oriole is designed for use with a high-quality moving-coil phono stage capable of providing suitable gain and loading.
Sumiko’s open-body Reference Series architecture is designed to minimise unwanted energy build-up around the generator. By reducing the potential for stored resonance and coloration within a conventional cartridge body, the design allows the mechanical and electrical system to operate with greater freedom and clarity.
The result is a cartridge designed to deliver fast transient attack, fine resolution and convincing dynamic expression without sacrificing tonal richness. Music emerges from a quiet background with strong image focus, natural ambience and a spacious, carefully defined soundstage.
Oriole has a recommended tracking force of 2.0g and a broad recommended loading range above 55 ohms, allowing final phono-stage loading to be tuned by ear to suit the system and listener preference.
Like Sumiko’s other Reference Series moving-coil cartridges, the Oriole is hand-assembled in Yokohama, Japan by Excel Sound, continuing a manufacturing relationship that Sumiko has maintained for decades.
Key Benefits
- Reference Series low-output moving-coil phono cartridge
- Nude Shibata line-contact stylus for highly detailed groove tracing
- 6.5 x 40µm stylus profile
- Reinforced 0.5mm aluminium-pipe cantilever
- High-efficiency, low-impedance moving-coil generator
- High-purity copper coils
- Open-body architecture helps minimise resonance, coloration and stored energy
- Wide 12Hz - 45kHz frequency response
- 0.3mV low-output design for use with a compatible MC phono stage
- Low 5.5-ohm internal impedance
- Recommended loading above 55 ohms, allowing system tuning by ear
- 30dB channel separation at 1kHz
- Channel balance better than 0.5dB at 1kHz
- Recommended tracking force of 2.0g
- Designed for strong detail retrieval, dynamics and transient speed
- Tonally balanced and refined presentation suitable for extended listening
- Hand-assembled in Yokohama, Japan
Technical Specifications
Cartridge Design
- Design Principle: Low-output moving coil
- Series: Sumiko Reference Series
- Construction: Open-body architecture
- Cartridge Mass: 7.3g
- Coils: High-purity copper
Stylus & Cantilever
- Stylus Type: Nude Shibata line-contact
- Stylus Dimensions: 6.5 x 40µm
- Cantilever: 0.5mm reinforced aluminium pipe
- Vertical Tracking Angle: 20°
Electrical Performance
- Output Voltage: 0.3mV at 3.54cm/sec, 1kHz
- Internal Impedance: 5.5Ω at 1kHz
- Recommended Load Impedance: Greater than 55Ω, determine final setting by ear
- Recommended Capacitance: 100pF - 200pF
- Frequency Response: 12Hz - 45kHz
Channel Performance
- Channel Separation: 30dB at 1kHz
- Channel Balance: Less than 0.5dB at 1kHz
Tracking & Compliance
- Compliance: 12 x 10⁻⁶cm/dyn at 100Hz
- Tracking Force Range: 1.8g - 2.2g
- Recommended Tracking Force: 2.0g
Stylus Servicing
- Replacement Stylus: Not user-replaceable
- Service Method: Re-tip exchange through an authorised dealer
Phono Stage Requirements
- Requires a compatible low-output moving-coil phono stage or suitable step-up arrangement
- Recommended Cartridge Loading: Greater than 55Ω
- Final loading can be adjusted by ear to optimise performance within the system
What’s in the Box
- Sumiko Oriole low-output moving-coil phono cartridge
