Soundsmith Aida MKII Turntable Cartridge
SKU: 12764559484

Soundsmith Aida MKII Turntable Cartridge

Sale price$1647.00 Regular price$1830.00
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Description

Soundsmith Aida MKII Turntable CartridgeAIDA MKII A triumph of Soundsmith Engineering, Stereophile Class A rated, a rarity at its price point and for good reasons. The Aida MKII employs a laser drilled Sapphire cantilever with ultra low mass Contact Line stylus; we did this to resolve the challenges of playing the inner grooves with the same level of confidence as the outer. How did we do this? The unique stylus shape of our CL stylus has a sharper playing surface on the faceted diamond,

AIDA MKII

A triumph of Soundsmith Engineering, Stereophile Class “A” rated, a rarity at its price point – and for good reasons.

The Aida MKII employs a laser drilled Sapphire cantilever with ultra-low mass Contact Line stylus; we did this to resolve the challenges of playing the inner grooves with the same level of confidence as the outer. How did we do this? The unique stylus shape of our CL stylus has a “sharper” playing surface on the faceted diamond, allowing it to ride easily into the groove modulations of even the most difficult passages and high frequency information that other cartridges simply cannot trace. The result — a truly superb cartridge, surpassing top MC designs with air, focus and sound staging no cartridge at this price should be able to achieve.

The Aida cartridge is a Stereophile A-rated cartridge, meaning it is in the "price is no object" category and was the cheapest cartridge there.

Soundsmith carefully hand-builds every cartridge, tests them, and keeps accurate records by serial number of their performance. Those that meet or exceed specifications are sold, and the ones that don't are broken down and recycled. 

Soundsmith took moving iron technology and perfected it. This design offers lower effective moving mass, causing the stylus to stay in better contact with the groove walls. High-gain moving coil preamps are not required, as the Aida is designed to be used with a moving magnet preamp.

New EM Series DEMS Design

What is DEMS??

“Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover.” – Peter Ledermann.

2018’s RMAF show was the official launch of Soundsmith’s new ES series of cartridges, where the attendees experienced the latest exploration into overlooked areas of cartridge design and solutions from Soundsmith.

The ES line features not only a dramatic new look, but is a significant evolution of the DEMS system design (Dynamic Energy Management System). The new Soundsmith ES cartridge designs are a significant advancement in cartridge performance due to their ability to direct internal vibrational forces without reflection and disperse them properly to the tone arm. The absence of reflections enables the stylus to stay in far greater statistical contact with the groove walls — a critically important technical refinement. Increased liquidity and reduced “grain,” without loss of detail are some of the immediately discernible advantages of Soundsmith’s new ES models.

The new line also features Azimuth adjustment built-in to each cartridge, as well as the option for electrical isolation for hum-prone systems. (see picture below)

Every cartridge in Soundsmith’s lineup will now feature our sleek new ES body design. The upgrade is far more than cosmetic; the new shape is a departure from the reflective and “boxy” design of many cartridges whose internal construction contribute to uncontrolled vibrational issues adversely affecting performance. Peter says, “Think of how singing in an open field compares with singing in a shower.” Soundsmith has always challenged conventions, looking deeper into nuances of cartridge design that dramatically affect immediate and long term performance. These have included extreme reductions of moving mass and the use of novel materials and designs. The new ES lineup is a continuation of that research and development.

ES Series Mounting

The new ES has some special mounting features that you need to be aware of.

Sometimes when mounting on a grounded metal arm, a cartridge will create hum due to a ground loop. If you experience some low level hum due to ground loop, you can now solve this issue by using the two half-round white rods which are to be placed and used in the OUTER slots, seen on the top of the cartridge. Place them flat side UP.

The rods are made of Alumina, and are insulating, thus allowing ground isolation for your cartridge without compromising the crucial mechanical energy transfer into the tone arm. This energy transfer is maintained due to the use of Alumina, which has the same properties as aluminum, but is non-conductive. Due to the novel body design of the ES cartridge, electrical isolation can still be maintained even though you may use metal screws.

On tone arms that do not allow azimuth adjustment, it is now possible to achieve this adjustment by way of the ES series by using the one full round alumina rod in the center slot only, alternately tightening and loosening the mounting screws by small amounts.

Shipping Notes
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Exchange/Return Notes
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SKU: 12764559484

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James Henderson
Los Angeles, US
★★★★★ 5
we loved this well-illustrated book
As first-time parents, we loved this well-illustrated book, recommended it to one couple, and recently ordered another for an expecting couple in our family. Rather than grouping content by topic, the book is ordered chronologically, starting with Day 1 and progressing throughout the first year. Don't expect to read straight through; there are lots of pictures, sidebars, notes, etc. This makes it easier to find and retain relevant information (as opposed to reading a 100-page section on "Diet and Nutrition"). Provides a thorough treatment of most of the common issues, fun discoveries and concerns you encounter as a new parent.
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Victoria
Boise, US
★★★★★ 5
Above Expectations!
Love, love, love this book! I purchased this beautiful hard cover book for my daughter who was expecting her first child. Big colorful illustrations! Very interesting & informative! Easy reading ! Love everything about it! This book is huge & a must-have for all new expecting parents! Each chapter is in a different pastel BABY color for easy searching! Love the big size! Worth every penny! Very happy with this purchase!
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Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2014
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Always
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 4
Too much info
Format: Hardcover
This is a very detailed book, almost to detailed if you get overwhelmed easily as a new mom to be like I was. There are amazing pictures, and just about everything is answered here. This also goes great with the pregnancy day by day sister book if you like this much detail.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2025
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Satisfied Buyer
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 5
Love this book!!!
A pregnancy must have! Every day you get to follow along with what your baby is going through. I was so excited not to have to wait for the week mark to read something new. I loved the pictures and advice and information about what baby and I were experiencing and each time a new symptom came alone I opened this book and it would address that topic on that day. I highly recommend it for first time mom-to-be.
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L. M. Fine
Whiting, US
★★★★★ 5
Perfect!
Great book for just what you need if you are a first time mom or dad. Lets you take in all of the overwhelming information that comes with parenthood in easy to bite pieces with pictures and captions. Very appealing to the eye and easy to put down and pick up whenever you have time. Does not go into a lot of detail on most things, just gives an overview and pointer for almost any question or concern a new parent might have. If you need more information because of your situation you can then seek it elsewhere.
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