Sumiko Starling 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.
Please note that the estimated time of arrival is measured from when we post your order - if a product is not available for immediate dispatch we will let you know as soon as possible.
Delivery is available across mainland UK. If you are located outside mainland UK and would like a shipping quote, please get in touch before placing your order.
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.
Please note that certain products may be subject to specific distance selling or delivery regulations. If you are unsure about a product or its delivery terms, please do get in touch.
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 Starling is a Reference Series low-output moving-coil phono cartridge engineered for highly resolved, refined and natural analogue playback. Combining a nude low-mass Microridge stylus, boron cantilever, high-purity copper coils and Sumiko’s open-body architecture, the Starling is designed to extract fine groove information while maintaining the balanced and fatigue-free musical presentation for which Sumiko cartridges are known.
The Starling uses a nude Microridge stylus measuring just 2.5 x 75µm. Its advanced profile provides an exceptionally precise contact with the record groove, allowing the cartridge to retrieve subtle detail, texture and spatial information while maintaining secure tracking. Sumiko selected the Microridge profile specifically to combine high levels of resolution with a smooth and even-handed presentation rather than an excessively analytical character.
The stylus is mounted to a 0.28mm boron cantilever. Boron combines very low mass with excellent rigidity, helping transfer extremely small stylus movements to the moving-coil generator with speed and accuracy. This contributes to the Starling’s ability to reproduce fast transients, fine dynamic contrasts and delicate musical information.
A specially selected damper controls resonance within the generator assembly and contributes to the cartridge’s extended high-frequency performance. The high-efficiency magnetic circuit uses carefully selected pure metals to minimise electrical loss and distortion, while high-purity copper is used for the coils.
The generator is secured to a PEEK mounting plate, chosen for mechanical stability and efficient energy transfer. This plate is coupled to a stiff alloy headblock, providing a controlled path through which unwanted resonance can travel away from the generator and into the tonearm rather than accumulating within the cartridge body.
Like Sumiko’s other Reference Series open-body moving-coil designs, the Starling deliberately avoids a conventional enclosed cartridge body. This architecture helps minimise coloration caused by stored energy while allowing internal resonance to be carefully controlled and dissipated through the cartridge mounting structure.
With an output of 0.5mV and internal impedance of 28 ohms, the Starling is intended for use with a suitable moving-coil phono stage. Sumiko recommends a load impedance above 100 ohms, with final loading selected by ear to achieve the preferred balance within the system.
The Starling is hand-assembled by Excel Sound in Yokohama, Japan. Each cartridge is produced by specialist cartridge makers using carefully selected materials and is designed to deliver a combination of precision, tonal balance, detail and long-term listening enjoyment.
Key Benefits
- Reference Series low-output moving-coil phono cartridge
- Nude low-mass Microridge stylus provides exceptionally precise groove tracing
- 2.5 x 75µm advanced stylus profile
- 0.28mm boron cantilever combines very low mass with high rigidity
- High-purity copper moving coils
- High-efficiency magnetic circuit designed to minimise loss and distortion
- Carefully selected damper provides effective generator resonance control
- PEEK generator mounting plate provides high mechanical stability
- Stiff alloy headblock provides an efficient path for unwanted resonance to leave the cartridge
- Open-body Reference Series architecture helps minimise stored energy and coloration
- Wide 12Hz - 50kHz frequency response
- 0.5mV output for use with a suitable moving-coil phono stage
- 35dB channel separation at 1kHz
- Recommended tracking force of 2.0g
- Recommended load impedance greater than 100 ohms
- Designed for high detail retrieval without an excessively analytical presentation
- Excellent transient speed and low-level resolution
- Tonally balanced, refined and fatigue-free analogue presentation
- Hand-assembled by Excel Sound in Yokohama, Japan
Technical Specifications
Cartridge Design
- Design Principle: Low-output moving coil
- Series: Sumiko Reference Series
- Construction: Open-body architecture
- Cartridge Mass: 7.4g
- Generator Mounting Plate: PEEK
- Headblock: Stiff alloy construction
- Coils: High-purity copper
Stylus & Cantilever
- Stylus Type: Nude low-mass Microridge
- Stylus Dimensions: 2.5 x 75µm
- Cantilever: 0.28mm boron
- Vertical Tracking Angle: 20°
Electrical Performance
- Output: 0.5mV at 3.54cm/sec, 1kHz
- Internal Impedance: 28Ω at 1kHz
- Recommended Load Impedance: Greater than 100Ω, determine final setting by ear
- Recommended Capacitance: 100pF - 200pF
- Frequency Response: 12Hz - 50kHz
Channel Performance
- Channel Separation: 35dB at 1kHz
- Channel Balance: 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
Resonance Control
- Carefully selected generator damper
- Open-body design minimises energy build-up associated with a conventional cartridge body
- PEEK generator mounting plate provides mechanical stability and controlled energy transfer
- Stiff alloy headblock helps conduct residual resonance away from the cartridge and into the tonearm
Phono Stage Requirements
- Requires a compatible low-output moving-coil phono stage or suitable step-up arrangement
- Recommended Cartridge Loading: Greater than 100Ω
- Final loading can be adjusted by ear to optimise tonal balance and system matching
Stylus Servicing
- Replacement Stylus: Not user-replaceable
- Service Method: Re-tip exchange through an authorised dealer
Manufacture
- Hand-assembled by Excel Sound
- Manufactured in Yokohama, Japan
What’s in the Box
- Sumiko Starling low-output moving-coil phono cartridge
