Mutech Cartridges

“I took an immediate liking to the sound of this Japanese cartridge.”

“The RM-Kanda makes use of the familiar combination of boron cantilever and nude semi-line-contact stylus (Ogura PA) found on other costly Japanese cartridges—except that this isn’t a costly Japanese cartridge. It costs $4500—not exactly cheap, but considering its construction quality and that MuTech, while not well known in the US, has been building cartridges (and supplying parts) for others for more than 50 years, and that this sample was easy to set up, with crosstalk and channel-balance measurements that matched its published specs, I’d say it’s great value for money. But only if it sounds good. Which it did.”

“However, at less than half the price of the Ortofon and Lyras (referring to the MC Century, Atlas and Etna) , the RMKanda is a highly evolved, well-built, tonally honest-sounding cartridge that also tracked well. If you own a tired Transfiguration cartridge but still love its sound, step this way! Importer Mockingbird Distribution offers a money-back guarantee. Assuming you correctly install the RM-Kanda, chances are it’s not going back. Perhaps the designer can next come up with a double-ring-magnet cartridge as a suitable replacement for Transfiguration’s underpriced/overperforming Proteus?”

Michael Fremer

Analog Corner

March 2019

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Retail is $5,000.  This cartridge features a special mu-metal armature for high output, low distortion and low impedance.  It also features neodymium ring magnets.  The cartridge does not use traditional magnetic yokes.  

Mutech has over 50 years of production experience, producing cartridges and parts for several well known manufacturers.  

Mutech is a company launched by Eiji Kanda as a new brand of MC cartridges and step-up transformers. In 1959, Mr. Eiji Kanda jointly developed a product with SUPEX, the champion of MC cartridges, and provided technical cooperation to numerous brands for more than 50 years, while continuing to supply OEM products.  He was a “silent partner” in the past, and preferred to be only on the production side. The products that Mr. Kanda was involved in were highly praised by audiophiles both in Japan and overseas for their high degree of perfection and versatile expressiveness of tone, demonstrating Mr. Kanda’s extraordinary talent.  The main features of Mutech cartridges include the following:

• Low impedance and high output (0.5mv) are achieved by arranging a uniquely developed SS-μM magnetic core material directly inside the magnet, concentrating the magnetic flux through the SS-μM magnetic core (the magnetic core holds the coil wire).
• The yoke material (as used in traditional moving coil cartridges) is not used, and the SS-μM core material and coil are placed directly inside the neodymium magnet #50 (ring magnet structure). It greatly improves AC magnetic characteristics and thoroughly suppresses magnetic distortion. 
• Improve the sound quality by using a specially designed suspension wire.
• Mutech uses a specially designed bobbin material for ultra low resonance.