Clearaudio Performer v2 Ebony & Artist v2 Ebony Wood Body Phono Cartridges – $400 US Retail (Performer v2 Ebony), $600 US Retail (Artist v2 Ebony). These new (released fall 2012) Clearuadio Ebony v2  series cartridges replace the very well known and reviewed Aurum wood body series MM’s cartridges and contain several improvements that build upon the Aurum series cartridges and take the already good Aurum carts up a notch at very similar price points. All Clearaudio MM cartridges feature a long lifespan, robust construction, high output, wide channel separation (big soundstage), extremely linear frequency response, coherent imaging,  superior dynamics (through the use of special strong magnets), compatibility with all current tonearms, hand selected, and are made in Germany. These wood body cartridges use a Ebony wood mounting plate (a wood known for its especially musical qualities).

With the V2 series of MM cartridges, Clearaudio set new standards in the technical parameters of impedance, inductance, load capacitance and sensitivity. Ongoing research and development have enabled us to attain near perfect balance of the stereo channels, reduce distortion to vanishing levels and increase output level with a flat frequency response to provide a vivid and enthralling musical performance.

All of Clearuadio’s Ebony MM V2 cartridges deliver the following enhancements over earlier models:

• A resonance-optimized ebony housing for less coloration and more natural sound
• More powerful magnets producing greater dynamic range
• Higher output voltage for lower noise levels.

The Performer V2, Artist V2 and Virtuoso V2 all feature aluminum cantilevers and double polished elliptical styli. Both make for great matches for Rega Research tables from our own listening.

Clearuaudio Artist and Performer Ebony v2 Series Wood Body Cartridge Basic Technical Specifications:

• Frequency range: 23 Hz – 20 kHz
• Output Voltage (1 kHz, 5cm/s): ~ 3.6 mV
• Channel Separation: >26 dB Channel balance: > 0.8 dB
• Recommended tracking force: 2.0 g
• Electrical impedance: 0.66 kOhm
• Coil inductance: 0.40 H
• Load resistance: 47 kOhm
• Load capacitance: 100 pF
• Cantilever: Aluminum
• Weight: 7.4 grams
• Warranty: 2 years Manufacturers Warranty