SoundsmithNorma

Made in the USA.Rebuild Price? $350 –Less Than 20% of MSRP! ~ The Norma features a 2-year warranty to the original owner.

The Soundsmith Norma is a medium-output version of the incredible Aida high-output cartridge. If your phonostage has a fixed gain setting in the neighborhood of 50dB, no longer is there any fear of overloading with a high output MM cartridge, or having to ramp up the volume with a low output MC type.

“We build it with love and respect for your hard earned dollars. Here is the “micro-manufacturing” reality:

All top end cartridges from all manufacturers are handmade. The real issue is that when you are manufacturing something so tiny, that has to perform so well, that all of them are NOT the same. If you dont see this statement from other manufacturers, then this is a “secret” they dont want to share, and quite understandably so.”

So…..what does Soundsmith do??

“We carefully hand build each and every cartridge, test them, and keep accurate records by serial number of their performance. Those that meet or exceed specifications are sold. But, there are always a few that don’t measure well. What do we do with them? We don’t sell them. We break them down and re-use some parts that can be used again. Does this cost real money? You bet. But what it does do is this…..the ones that DO pass our stringent testing out-perform many cartridges selling for two, three, four, or even five times the price. Are we unabashedly proud of our hand-made cartridges??”

YES.

Some ask:

“Moving Iron Cartridges better?? I thought that moving COIL types are the best??”

Our cartridges overturn the myth that moving coil cartridges are the only path towards perfection. After all, what is the accepted advantage of moving coil cartridges? Low effective moving mass, right? Well, we’ve got less. Much less. And if you understand EFFECTIVE moving mass, Less IS more. Why is that good? Because when you lower the moving system mass, its easier to control. If its easier to control, the stylus can stay in better contact with the groove walls. Thats good because if you cant stay in contact with the groove walls, you cant hear whats on the record.