Sumiko Celebration 40 MC cartridge

The original Sumiko Celebration low output MC cartridge was designed by Sumiko around 10 years ago. For their 40^th anniversary however, the Japanese brand proposes a fully redesigned and optimised version. Like all Sumiko phono cartridges, the Celebration 40 phono cartridge is handcrafted in Yokohama, Japan.

Sumiko’s R&D picked out by ear the best metals, styli and resin composites to provide best performance. Each design is listened carefully until reaching desired “perfection”. Manufacture is then performed by the best technicians available.

SUMIKO CELEBRATION 40 MC CARTRIDGE: TECHNOLOGY

The Sumiko Celebration 40 low output MC cartridge features a plumwood housing. This housing is entirely handmade and optimised to provide ultra low resonance frequency. It limits resonance in the audible spectrum.

The MC generator is located inside an uncompromising machined aluminium cradle and surrounded by a milled Teflon back plate. This provides maximum rigidity and minimum unwanted resonance around the generator.

This design allows to limit unwanted colouration and parasitic resonance.

The Celebration 40 MC cartridge now uses the same ultra low-mass 75 µm x 2.5 µm Microridge stylus as the Sumiko Palos Santos Presentation low output MC cartridge. This stylus is paired with an amazing long-grain boron cantilever.

The output level is rather high for a cartridge of this range (0.5mV) and thus will require an excellent quality phono preamplifier having a 60-dB gain. The pretty high 18 µm/mN compliance (10 Hz) will require a tonearm with a rather low effective mass below 12 g.

SUMIKO CELEBRATION 40 MC CARTRIDGE: TESTING AND LISTENING

The setup is pretty easy and doesn’t require any particular attention. You only need to take into account the specifications of your cartridge and tonearm.

To ensure accuracy in the cartridge alignment procedure, the front of the cartridge was modified: the front face of the plumwood housing was cut off to clear the sightline. The entire cantilever is visible in setup.

From the first few measures, we notice that the Sumiko Celebration 40 MC cartridge doesn’t provide auditory fatigue. You can immerse yourself in music for hours without any frustration.

This cartridge favours rich, soft and warm tones rather than analytic or surgical listening experience.

Clarity and definition are not being sacrificed, however.

The Microridge stylus provides excellent tracking capability allowing to extract all details from the track. Music is reproduced in a casual manner, favouring musicality and emotion.

There are deep and enveloping low frequencies coupled with very soft mid and treble. Midrange has an outstanding clarity combined with natural warmth and very realistic timbre.

Like its big sister the Sumiko Palos Santos Presentation phono cartridge, the Sumiko Celebration 40 low output MC cartridge strives to reproduce music with an extra soul, unlike the competition.

Would recommend +++