Carbon MC Cartridge

The Carbon is based on the Takumi, but with a line contact stylus that raises the frequency response.  Miyajima have cleverly introduced carbon nanotubes inside the thin alloy cantilever to increase the cantilever's stiffness and resonance control, without increasing effective mass, meaning increased sound clarity and balance.

What Makes Miyajima Cartridges Special? 

There is nothing unique about using wood for cartridge bodies, but Miyajima cartridges have a unique, patented design that really is different to any other moving coil cartridge available.  Miyajima understood that traditional moving coil cartridges suffer from resonances and distortion, firstly due to the tie-wire that typically holds the cantilever and coil assembly against the magnet pole piece with a compliant insert between to allow some movement.  The tie wire has to be very precisely tightened so that the coil assembly is correctly aligned, but its disadvantage is that it resonates, introducing distortion.  The second source of distortion is the typical iron coil former of a moving coil cartridge, which actually distorts the lines of magnetic flux between the pole pieces, as it moves through those lines.  Miyajima have a patented cross ring coil structure that has a non-magnetic core, neatly side-stepping this problem.  The next innovation was to eliminate the tie-wire altogether.  Instead, Miyajima use a pointed slide bar that  locates the coil assembly very precisely from behind at its pivot point, which is also the centre point of the magnet, while gently pushing the coil assembly against a compliant insert.  This means that the coil assembly can pivot unimpeded by a tensioning wire.  Here is a helpful animation showing how Miyajima cartridges work:

What's The End Result? 

Miyajima cartridges really do have dramatically lower distortion, compared to other MC cartridges, and these can sound like CD in comparison.  The sound is smooth, but don't think that they are 'rolled off' or lacking in 'bite' - the smoothness is a reflection of the low distortion.  Miyajima cartridges are effortlessly musical too.  Paul Rigby reviewed the original Takumi here, and gave it a 'Groovy' award.

The Carbon is a new product, released in 2023.  It is based on the Takumi L, with a nude line contact stylus, but housed in a satin hardwood body similar in shape and profile to those used on other Miyajima cartridges, but here in a different wood.


SPECS

Body type : Satine Hardwood
Frequency response : 20Hz to 32kHz
Output level : 0.21 mV
Impedance : 16 ohms
Recommended load : >100 ohms
Tracking force : 2.3g recommended
Stylus type : Nude Line Contact
Compliance (10Hz): Around 9×10-6cm/dyne
Weight : 8.9g