Clearaudio x McIntosh Virtuoso V2 Ebony MM Phono Cartridge

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General:
This Mcintosh x Clearaudio Virtuoso V2 Ebony MM cartridge is a high-value, high-performance MM (moving-magnet) Cartridge from Clearaudio. It would pair well to a number of turntables at any price point.

These McIntosh branded examples are sold exclusively on the McIntosh MT10 turntable so it's rather uncommon to have one available for sale standalone.

This particular cartridge was also professionally retipped by the experts at VAS (Vinyl Audio Science) and is now ready for many more hours of playback.

SkyFi Cosmetic Notes:
Some scratches on the plastic protective cover. Overall very good shape.

SkyFi Technical Notes:
Cartridge retipped by VAS.

Brand Background:
McIntosh Laboratory is an American manufacturer of handcrafted high-end audio equipment based in Binghamton, New York. The company was founded in 1949 by Frank McIntosh. The company designs and produces audio amplifiers, stereo tuners and other consumer electronics products.

Ownership:
Single Owner

General Sound:
Neutral sound with little to no coloration

Cosmetic Condition:
8/10 = Very Good. Excellent front faceplate, one minor flaw on chassis side or top. See our detailed rating description here.

Working Condition:
Working perfectly and tested in our lab.

Included:
Just the Unit

Packing:
Will be packed using our highly developed in-house process and custom packing materials.

Specs:
Frequency response:
20 Hz - 20 kHz

Output:
3.6mV

Channel balance:
< 0.3 dB

Channel separation:
30 dB

Tracking force:
2.0g

Loading:
47k ohms

Cantilever:
Aluminum

Weight:
6 grams

Link to Manual:
Click Here

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.