Like its little sister the ACE, this Benz Micro Glider is also legendary! In fact, the Swiss manufacturer has been producing this cartridge for 15 years.
Benz Micro Glider SM: Output voltage
As with most models in the range, it is historically available with three output levels.
Here, we have the SM (SM=0.8 mV) medium output variant which enables the Benz Micro Glider SM to be used with MC phono preamplifiers with a low gain (lower than 55 dB).
Benz Micro Glider SM: Needle
In this latest 'S' variant, the Benz Micro Glider SM is adorned with a beautiful Micro Ridge stylus profile fitted to a pure boron cantilever.
The generators have new “Pure Iron Cross” coils that use a high purity copper conductor. In this version, extra coil has been added and makes for a better output level.
A special o-ring seal, ideally designed to provide mechanical linearity and perfect elongation with the necessary precision to reproduce the subtleties without any colouration, holds the assembly together and serves as a damper.
The compliance of this Benz Micro Glider SM phono cartridge (15), combined with its weight (6.8 g) make it suitable for tonearms with average weight between 8 and 18 g.
Benz Micro Glider SM: Body
Its overall mass was reduced by dispensing with the cartridge body. That’s right, its guts are showing!
The product is crafted, assembled and tested meticulously in Benz Micro's new workshop in Switzerland, under the expert eyes and ears of Albert Lukaschek.
Benz Micro Glider SM: Listening and test review
After a break-in period of about forty hours recommended by the manufacturer, you'll immediately notice and be impressed by the timbre quality of this cartridge.
The Glider SM Hi-Fi cartridge shows a refined and subtle sound quality. At lower volumes, it sounds more detailed than with competitors’ cartridges and we especially noted “cleaner” vocals than usual.
But it still manages to remain very neutral and transparent, which really helps picking out instruments, recording locations as well as some studio effects.
A particularly expressive and musical cartridge which is a benchmark in its category.
We recommend this product to audiophiles everywhere without hesitation...
AWARD:
The Absolute Sound - Editor's Choice Award - 2017
FranckType: Medium output MC
Output: 0.8mV
Cantilever: Solid boron, 0.28 mm
Stylus type: Micro Ridge, mirror polish, 3x60 um
VTA: 20 degrees
Coils: Pure Iron Cross
Compliance: 15cU
Internal impedance: 24ohms
Frequency response: 20-20 kHz
Channel balance: > 0.5 dB
Channel separation: > 35db à 1kHz
Tracking force: 1.7-2 grams
Weight: 6.8 grams
Recommended load: > at 100 ohms
Break-in: 40 hours
