ZYX Ultimate EX-Airy Phono Cartridge

Parttime Audiophile Review

New Gold-Silver Alloy Coil Wire (G-S)

In the previous Ultimate series cartridges, there were three coil wire options: crystal copper, gold, and silver. In the new Ultimate Exceed series, there are two coil types: crystal copper and a gold-silver alloy. While the resistance of the G-S alloy wire increases due to the alloying process, it delivers a unique, delicate, mellow, and wide-band sound that combines the best qualities of both gold and silver.

World's First C-1000 Carbon Cantilever in Moving Coil Cartridge

The ZYX Ultimate series (100, Airy, 4D, OMEGA, and DYNAMIC) introduces the first-ever carbon cantilever in a moving coil cartridge. The carbon rod, made from 1000 pieces of composite carbon fiber, is aptly named the C-1000 carbon cantilever. This material is more rigid than aluminum, iron, and titanium, while its specific gravity is only half that of boron. This makes the C-1000 carbon cantilever the ultimate and ideal material for analogue record playback.

The carbon cantilever offers an extensive frequency range and superior tracking performance. A significant advantage is that the mechanical sound signal picked up by the stylus travels directly to the coil through the 1000 pieces of carbon fiber, ensuring that no reflected, repeated, or modulated mechanical signals are present. The result is an exceptionally natural, dynamic, and true-to-source sound experience.

Double Structure Body

The body of the cartridge is constructed using non-metallic materials, effectively preventing surface resonance from influencing the generator system. This design is both lightweight and rigid, providing additional benefits.

High-Speed Reproduction Engine (Magnetic Circuit)

This magnetic circuit is specially processed to eliminate magnetic resistance within the magnetic gap, enabling high-speed power generation across the entire bandwidth without time delay.

Micro-Ridge Stylus

The stylus in the Ultimate series has the edges of the diamond shank set parallel to the sides of the cantilever. This alignment allows the hardest axis of the crystal to serve as the contact point with the record groove, ensuring stable and smooth tracing while producing a highly refined sound. Additionally, the stylus offers an extended lifetime of 2000 hours. The Micro-Ridge type stylus, originally developed in Japan, provides top-tier performance with a consistent contact radius of 3μm, achieved by a ridge of 6μm thickness.

Pure 6N OFC Crystal Copper Wire Generator Coils

This crystal copper wire is produced through a special process to achieve a perfectly even sound balance across the entire audible range.