ZYX Bloom 3H MC Cartridge W/ ZYX Live18 Headshell - For Technics Turntables

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General:
The Bloom 3H is an MC (moving coil) cartridge from boutique Hi-Fi brand ZYX. The name ZYX represents three analog, three-dimensional elements: Time (Z), Amplitude (Y), and Frequency (X), representing the brand's focus on spatial sound reproduction.

It features a unique transparent cartridge body for a standout design that lets you see the delicate internals. The cantilever is made of an aluminum-magnesium alloy (ALMg5), paired with a line-contact stylus designed to trace record grooves precisely for high detail retrieval without listener fatigue. This is part of what gives the Bloom 3H its sonic character.

This cartridge has been fully tested and is functioning great. It was also inspected under our shop microscope and shows little wear on the stylus.

To make it even better, this Bloom 3H comes mounted on a matching aluminum ZYX headshell. It is pre-mounted and ready for use on Technics turntables such as the SL-1200G, SL-1200GR2, and SL-1300G, as well as other compatible models, ensuring quick and easy installation. It also includes its original packaging, manual, and stylus protector, making it complete.

MSRP on the cartridge is $1200 and about $650 for the Headshell. This makes this around a $660 Discount compared to new.

More From ZYX:
Bloom 3H Cartrige:
Specially rigid black aluminum cantilever
Normally the sound of aluminum is very natural, but cannot follow to high frequency perfectly. In order to achieve both its characteristic natural sound and the wide range reproduction, the R50 Bloom 3 has a newly developed rigid aluminum cantilever for the first time.

Cartridge Case For REAL STEREO
Item 11,12 and 13 of the vital design points make very complex demand of the body's electrical properties. Non metallic body is necessary in order to achieve these properties, and to prevent external disturbances from influencing the generator system and also, it prevents eddy currents in the case from effecting the generator output signal.

Stylus
The stylus used in the R50 Bloom 3 is the line-contact stylus which can playback up to 40 kHz. And also it has the edges of the diamond shank set parallel to the sides of the cantilever. Using this type of stylus, the hardest axis of the crystal is aligned to act as the contact point with the record groove. This gives stable and smooth tracing and produces a very refined sound, with the additional benefit of giving the stylus an extended life.

Super High speed reproduction engine (magnetic circuit)
This circuit is specially processed to null magnetic resistance within magnetic gap, and enables high speed power generation against signals over entire bandwidth straightly without time delay.

Live18 Headshell:
Light weight, highly rigid, and non-resonant structure
LIVE18 is precisely machine tooled one by one out of an aluminum block with precise and even molecular arrangement remained unchanged. Only the parts where it is necessary is thickened, resulting in high rigidity and light weight. Further, it is structured not to have sequentially the same shape to kill standing wave generation.

18 circuits to cancel longitudinal wave vibration
Vibration emitted from a phono cartridge vibrates a head shell with crude or longitudinal wave. The vibration causes resonance in the head shell and reflects to the cartridge, resulting in having considerable harmful effects to the sound quality reproduced by the cartridge. On the other hand, oscillating wave transmitted to a tone arm is reflected by the arm end back to the shell, giving overlaid vibration to the cartridge.
In order to solve this very important question, designers used to take measures by changing material and shell thickness. However, the result was that there was a change in transmission speed of oscillating wave, and it was found to be impossible to cancel longitudinal wave.

LIVE18 has been designed first time in the world by efficiently arranged 18 mechanical short circuits to evaporate the longitudinal wave vibrations. Figure 1~3 show the circuits for longitudinal waves, comparatively few. to horizontal spectrum direction, whereas Figure 1-4~18 show the mechanical short circuits for the longitudinal waves in vertical direction the same travel direction as from the cartridge. These circuits amazingly work effectively to sound reproduction of a phono cartridge. It is just what LIVE18 is with clear and natural and dynamic sound over wide range.

Non resonant finger
The finger is tapered to both vertical and horizontal directions to prevent from standing wave generation.

Most appropriate self-weight
LIVE18 is designed to be 12grams in self-weight to fit every type of cartridge and tone arm.

High purity lead-wire
Combination of gold plated terminal tip and high purity oxygen free high conductivity copper wire enables 100% transmission of a cartridge output signal.

Double stopper pins
A pair of stopper pin arranged vertically helps secure plug-in of the shell into the tone arm without loose.

SkyFi Cosmetic Notes:
Very small signs of wear on cartridge and headshell, Very good condition overall.

Ownership:
Single Owner

General Sound:
Smooth, uncolored, undistorted natural and clean

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:
Unit and box

Packing:
Original Manufacturers Packing

Specs:
Cartridge Specifications
- Cartridge Type: Moving Coil (Dynamic)
- Generator System: Real Stereo (Cryogenic Treatment at -196 °C / -320 °F)
- Output Voltage: 0.24 mV (0.48 mV at 3.54 cm/sec, 1 kHz)
- Frequency Response: ±1 dB (10 Hz–100 kHz / 20 Hz–20 kHz)
- Channel Separation: >30 dB (at 1 kHz)
- Channel Balance: <0.5 dB (at 1 kHz)
- Tracking Force: Recommended: 2.0 g (Range: 1.7–2.5 g)
- Trackability: >60 μm (at 2.0 g)
- Compliance:
- Horizontal: 15 × 10⁻⁶ cm/dyne
- Vertical: 12 × 10⁻⁶ cm/dyne
- Impedance:
- Internal: 4.0 Ω (8.0 Ω)
- Load: >100 Ω
- Coil Wire: 6N OFC (φ 0.035 mm)
- Cantilever Material: Black ALMg5 tube (φ 0.45 × φ 0.30 mm)
- Stylus: Line-contact Solid Diamond (0.1 mm square)
- Stylus Life & Radius: 6 μm × 35 μm; 2,000 hours (at 2.0 g)
- Terminals & Board: φ 1.25 mm gold-plated (EIA); Glass Epoxy Plate
- Dimensions: 16.2 mm (W) × 19.7 mm (L) × 17.6 mm (H)
- Net Weight: 5.0 g (7.7 g TB, 9.5 g SB)

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.