Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood - Moving-Magnet Phono Cartridge - New ($1200 MSRP)

Free Shipping on Most Electronics - Excludes Speakers and Items Requiring Freight - Contiguous U.S. Only

General:
The Virtuoso Wood is a high-performance MM (Moving-Magnet) phono cartridge from Clearaudio. Made in Germany. 

Key features include an aluminum cantilever, an elliptical diamond stylus, and a handcrafted wooden body that naturally dampens resonance.

This cartridge achieves remarkable clarity and warmth that distinguishes it from so many other cartridges in the price point.

Overall this cartridge punches well above its weight and is a formidable piece. 

From Stereophile:
"The performance of the Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood was so ear-opening that I recommend that anyone thinking of spending up to $2500 on a moving-coil cartridge consider buying the Virtuoso Wood instead, and investing the money saved in better components elsewhere in the system."

SkyFi Cosmetic Notes:
Brand new, never opened.

Ownership:
Brand New

General Sound:
Smooth, uncolored, undistorted natural and clean

Cosmetic Condition:
New = Factory sealed and unopened. See our detailed rating description here.

Working Condition:
Working perfectly and tested in our lab.

Included:
Everything like when it arrived new

Packing:
Original Manufacturers Packing

Original MSRP:
$1,200.00

Specs:
Description Moving magnet cartridge.
Frequency response 20-20,000 Hz.
Output voltage 3.6 mV.
Channel separation > 30 dB.
Channel balance ≤ 0.2 dB.
Compliance 15 (x 10-6 cm/dyne).
Stylus size 5 x 80 micrometres.
Recommended loading 47K Ohms.
Tracking force 2.0-2.5 g.
Recommended tracking force 2.2 g.
Weight 10.0 g.

Testing Process:
We start by doing a detailed physical inspection under light magnification to asses the cantilever condition, its position in the cartridge body, and the condition of the suspension.

We also inspect any coil wires and the output connections to make sure it hasn't been strained. We then perform a light cleaning with specialized agents and very carefully blow dry with compressed air.

Following that, we conduct a thorough examination using our Wild Heerbrugg professional microscope. From there we can asses the wear and quality of the stylus and determine how much use it has seen, and if there are any mechanical issues. We can also identify if it needs further cleaning or care.

We then move the cartridge to a digital microscope where we take photos of the cantilever and stylus for future reference.

Next we move to the test bench where we can check for continuity of each channel and resistance.

On certain cartridges (or if the technician feels necessary) we install the cartridge on a turntable and run several test records to ascertain tacking ability, distortion, and compliance.