ZYX Ultimate Exceed Astro
New Gold-Silver alloy coil wire (G-S)
In the conventional Ultimate series cartridges, there were three coil wire choices – crystal copper, gold and silver. In the new Ultimate Exceed series of cartridges, there are two coil types – crystal copper and gold / silver alloy.
Although the resistance value of the G-S alloy type wire increases due to alloy processing, you can enjoy the unique, delicate, mellow and wide-band sound that combines the merits of gold and silver.
New generator system
ASTRO has succeeded in completing the generator system that does not give any disturbance to the generator coils by applying special processing to all the parts that make up the magnetic circuit for the first time in the world, neutralizing all harmful signals. The playback sound that you listen to for the first time is just that. ASTRO enables to hear the original sound.
Analog is an excellent audio system that can reproduce infinite time axis (Z) information in the sound signal recorded on the phonograph record as the original sound. However, the time information related to sound quality changes the original sound into a different sound due to a number of harmful phenomena peculiar to the electromagnetic conversion system generated.
Reverse electric current generated in proportion to the strength of the sound signal of the generator coils, eddy current in the coil bobbin that promotes the generation, change in magnetoresistance and magnetic flux of DC magnetic field due to eddy current, and further magnetic field induction of eddy currents in the north and south poles. All of these disturbances occur at the same time as the light velocity, and the time axis component of the original sound is thought to be instantly changed in the sound quality.
Symmetry damping
ASTRO has adopted a symmetry structure with dampers front and back of the coil bobbin for the first time by the world.
Conventional MC cartridges generally use a damper that is placed behind the coil bobbin to damp against the needle position.
Due to the nature of the material, the damper itself has mechanical problems such as non-linear response of the compression and decompression speed of the damper and fluctuation of the response depending on the frequency. However, by damping the vibration of the coil bobbin from both sides, it is released from the nonlinearity of the mechanical damping force of the material, and the sound signal vibration of the needle tip is transmitted straight to the rotational vibration of the coil. Sounds that have never experienced linear responsiveness from minute signals to high-response dynamic signals.
Coupled with ASTRO’s original sound reproduction generator system, you will be able to feel the tremendously real analog sound for the first time.
Lapis lazuli Balancing Weight
A spherical object fixed to the front nose of the cartridge is a balancing weight to accord the sweet spot of the cartridge body and the gravity point of vibration system. Having checked up materials and repeated audio monitoring, a nonmetal Lapis lazuli ball having hardness 5.0, specific gravity 2.5, diameter 8mm, and weight about 1 gram is put in at the most appropriate position to form the best cartridge structure.
The Lapis Lazuli ball has another important merit than centroid control. Due to its composition blended of a few kinds of sodalite having spherical shape, vibrating wave flown from the north pole of the ball is absorbed in the crystal architecture mingled inside, and vibrating wave running down the ball surface is finally cancelled at the south pole of the ball.
Composite Carbon Terminal Board
This world-first hard terminal board has been employed as the terminal board to lock up output terminal pins and statically holds the unit against any sorts of extraneous vibrations.
And besides this terminal board can be grounded to the phono-stage amplifier through the ground line of right channel output.
You must listen the purest sound by eliminated capacitance between 4 terminal pins.
World First C-1000 Carbon Cantilever in Moving Coil Cartridge
The ZYX Ultimate series (100, Airy, 4D, OMEGA, DYNAMIC and ASTRO) use a carbon cantilever for the very first time in a moving coil cartridge. The carbon rod is made from 1000 pieces of composite carbon fiber, hence the name C-1000 carbon cantilever.
This composite carbon fiber is more rigid than aluminum, iron and titanium. In addition, its specific gravity is just half that of boron. Therefore we can be sure that the C-1000 carbon cantilever is the ultimate and ideal cantilever material for analogue record playback.
The carbon cantilever gives us the widest frequency range and a superior tracking performance. A further major benefit is that the mechanical sound signal picked up at the stylus can travel through to the coil in a straight and direct fashion by way of the 1000 pieces of mechanical carbon lines. This ensures that reflected, repeated or modulated mechanical sound signals are completely absent. The overall result is that you will enjoy the finest, most natural, most dynamic and true to source sound that you have ever experienced.
Cartridge Case For REAL STEREO
Item 11,12 and 13 of the vital design points make very complex demand of the body’s electrical properties. Non metallic body which has two kinds of hard material is necessary in order to achieve these properties, and to prevent external disturbances from influencing the generator system and also it prevents eddy currents in the case from effecting the generator output signal and the resonance occuring on the body surfaces.
Super High speed reproduction engine
This circuit is specially processed to null magnetic resistance within magnetic gap, and enables high speed power generation against signals over entire bandwidth straightly without time delay. And besides this circuit can perfectly eliminate any eddy currents remaining at once.
Micro-Ridge Stylus
The stylus used Ultimate series has the edges of the diamond shank set parallel to the sides of the cantilever. Using this type of stylus, the hardest axis of the crystal is aligned to act as the contact point with the record groove. This gives stable and smooth tracing and produces a very refined sound, with the additional benefit of giving the stylus an extended life time 2000 hours.
The stylus is of the Micro-ridge type, which was originally developed in Japan and offers the highest performance. The contact radius is always 3μm by the ridge made with 6μm thickness.
Pure 6N OFC Crystal Copper Wire Generator Coils
This perfect crystal copper wire produced by special process, in order to achieve an even sound balance across the entire audible range.
| Technical Data | |
|---|---|
| Type | Moving Coil (Dynamic) “REAL STEREO” Generator System |
| Cryogenic Treatment | Temperature: -196 ℃ (-320оF) |
| Coil WireX type GS type | X:6N Crystal Copper φ 0.035mm GS:Gold – Silver φ 0.035mm |
| Output Voltage | 0.24mV (3.54cm/sec, 1kHz) |
| Frequency Response ±1dB |
10 Hz – 100 kHz 20 Hz – 20 kHz |
| Channel Separation | ＞ 30dB 〔 1kHz 〕 |
| Channel Balance | ＜ 0.5dB 〔 1kHz 〕 |
| Recommended Tracking Force | 2.0gm 〔 20 ゜C-25 ゜C 〕 |
| Tracking Force Range | 1.7gm – 2.5gm |
| Trackability | ＞60μm /2.0gm |
| EQ Compliancehorizontal vertical | 15×10-6cm/dyne 12×10-6cm/dyne |
| Internal Impedance | X:4.0 Ω GS:24.0 Ω |
| Load Impedance | ＞ 100Ω |
| Cantilever Material | C-1000 Carbon φ0.30mm |
| Stylus | Micro-Ridge Solid Diamond□0.1mm |
| Contact Radius, Life Time | 3μm×60μm, 2000Hour/2.0gm |
| Output Terminals | φ1.25mm K18 Solid Gold 〔EIA〕 |
| Terminal Board | Composite Carbon Plate |
| Dimensions | 16.8mm(W)×25.0mm(L)×16.5mm(H) |
| Net Weight | 7.9gm(TB2 pre-mounted), 9.1gm(SB2) |