Clearaudio Talisman V2 Gold MC cartridge

Clearaudio's new Talisman V2 Gold cartridge is an upgrade of the 'late' Talisman. Now available as V2 and Gold!

It is based on its predecessor's main innovations that made it a legend, with a number of significant changes thrown in. The now traditional ebony housing is also available. It is from an old stock that makes the cartridge very robust. The boron cantilever accommodates a Micro HD diamond that has a high precision profile. The coils are made of a 24 carat gold conductor. They are checked by hand, allowing for unrivalled consistency and reliability in production. The magnetic part is complex and fully symmetrical. It consists of 8 powerful magnets. Its mean compliance (15), combined with its significant tracking force (2.8 g) and weight (10.8 g), making it suitable for good quality average mass tonearms.

When combined with a rigid boron cantilever and a Micro HD stylus, every single detail stored in the groove can be heard. This TALISMAN V2 Gold seems to achieve this effortlessly and with a lot of class. As always with Clearaudio, playback is detailed and very clean. The dynamics are amazing, specifically the bass that shows unparalleled articulation and precision. The soundstage is impressively wide, deep with excellent placement. Playback is definitely not dull and dark. Quite the opposite; the timbre is clear and full of harmonics. This cartridge is recommended with systems that lack punch, definition and opening in the upper register. They are recommended for audiophiles in search of subtlety and transparency.