Analog Gear News

Talk, talk, it’s only talk. Well, in this case, it’s more than talk, since we’re talk-talk-talking about Kensington Audio’s new C Series line of cartridges, which are manufactured under the purview of a well-respected British company, Talk Electronics. (Talk Electronics are also known for their own branded tonearm lines, in addition to making gear available under the umbrellas of the aforementioned Kensington Audio, Edwards Audio, and Kestrel Audio, respectively.)

The flagship Kensington Audio model, the gold-hued C-900 moving coil (MC) cartridge, features a precision-ground sapphire cantilever that is said to offer an “extraordinary combination of rigidity and low resonance,” and it is paired with a high-precision elliptical stylus.

The C-900 utilizes ultra-pure 6N (99.9999%) oxygen-free copper, and it boasts a frequency response ranging from 20Hz to 30kHz ±1dB. A finely balanced 0.32mV output and 6ohm internal impedance are said to ensure compatibility with a wide range of MC phono preamps while, quote, “maintaining absolute sonic purity.”

Channel balance is within –0.5dB and separation exceeds 30dB, while the C-900 cart’s tracking ability is said to reach 70µm at 315Hz, aided by a dynamic compliance of 15µm/mN.

Other specs for the C-900 cart include a vertical tracking angle of 20°, output voltage as 0.35mV/1kHz/0.5cm, recommended load impedance as 200ohms, tracking force between 1.1-1.4g, channel separation as >30dB, and channel balance >0.5dB. The C-900’s weight is 10g.

The other four carts in the C Series, as seen throughout this story in various configurations, include the C-800 with a ruby cantilever (and an overall green hue), C-700 with boron cantilever (blue), C-600 with boron cantilever (red), and C-500 with aluminum cantilever (black). The C-800 sports 6N OCC coils as does the flagship C-900, while the C-700, C-600, and C-500 all instead offer 4N OCC coils.

Finally, the SRPs are as follows (from high to low): £2,999.95 for the Kensington Audio C-900 MC cartridge, £1,999.95 for the C-800 MC cartridge, £1,499.95 for the C-700, £849.95 for the C-600 MC cart, and £599.95 for the C-500.

For more about Kensington Audio, go here.
To inquire about authorized Kensington Audio dealers and distributors, go here.