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Yamamoto MC Cartridges

YC-03S/YC-03M Wood Body MC cartridge

The Yamamoto MC cartridges represent one of the best deals in all of analog.  Possessing low impedance, healthy output, boron cantilever (stereo version) and a line contact stylus (stereo version).  The key to the recent advancement in cartridges has as much to do with impedance, than any specific material.  By employing very powerful magnetic circuits and relatively few windings, the impedance of today’s “super cartridges” have dropped dramatically compared to traditional MC cartridges.  The lower impedance results in much improved signal to noise ratio (it’s complicated, but higher resistance always produces more noise….always, so lowering impedances in a system will always improve noise levels, all other things being the same).  This much improved signal to noise ratio practically renders music with more detail, improved dynamics, more realistic imaging, better tracking via lower mass, and an improvement in distortion figures.  And you get all this for only $1,000, compared to several times that for similar cartridge builds.  You get state of the art of performance, without the wallet shock.


Although both use the same magnetic circuit (magnet, armature and poles), the oscillating system and body are specialized to maximize performance with stereo and mono records, respectively.

YC-03S for stereo playback has denser, harder wood.  African blackwood is a beautiful material for sound, for sharper imaging and detail.  On the other hand, using beautiful boxwood material, the YC-03M is more compatible with classic mono recordings, and brings out the depth of good mono.  Both materials are also used for various musical instruments for the characteristics that can only be found in the correct choice of wood. African blackwood is used for oboe and clarinet, while boxwood is used for the plectrum of a samisen.

At our company, precision machining is carried out with CNC processing. Moreover, the finish enhances the natural charm of wood, its grain.  The finish is non-toxic and does not harm animals or the environment. 

The generator of the YC-03S/YC-03M is truly potent. The output of 0.25mV has been created with an internal impedance of only 1.2 ohm by winding thicker magnet wire on a high purity iron core, while output voltage is increased by the use of powerful neodymium magnets.  The low impedance radically improves every aspect of performance in a moving coil cartridge, from detail to dynamics to low bass to distortion to imaging to SNR… Although YC-03 M/S is has an impedance of 1.2 ohms, it can be satisfactorily connected to an SUT with a 3-ohm input impedance.

Besides the use of Neodymium, the power of the circuit is improved by use of soft iron connectors, rather than conventional adhesives used in similar price cartridges.  The use of soft iron screws to assemble the structure significantly enhances the magnetic efficiency of the circuit, for more output.

The cantilever of YC-03S uses pure solid boron, and aims at maximum information retrieval with a line contact needle. With the YC-03M, a round aluminum pipe and spherical tip are used for optimal compatibility with old mono records.

Another feature of YC-03S/YC-03M is the use of thick gauge piano wire. A tension wire is the support component located at the center of the oscillating system which connects the cantilever of an MC cartridge, the power generation coil, and the magnetic circuit. This tension wire is 0.14mm, where most other companies use piano wire of 0.06 to 0.08mm in diameter. Usually, this tension wire is made thin, so the cartridge becomes high compliance, the resonance frequency goes up, and, the high frequencies are favored. However, in order to obtain reproduction that is full of emotional energy in the midband, Yamamoto chose a thicker wire.  The sound of a thicker tension wire is closer to reality, thicker, stronger, more emotional, and more realistic.

Usually, plastic resin is used by most companies for the terminal block portion of the cartridge. However, the tag block of YC-03S/YC-03M is made of reinforced bakelite, a very strong, natural sounding material. The pins are made of gold plated bronze, superior to rhodium plated connectors for transfer of signal.  For many cycles, rhodium has a benefit.  For phono cartridges, it only adds unwanted resistance, which always increases noise, harming the SNR. The whole connector block assembly is more highly conductive, and more resistant to damage (from handling and from heat). 

The YC-03M, for mono replay, uses two windings in parallel.  There are two parallel circuits at the four pins (left and right channels with the same, but separate, output) so that the cartridge is 100% compatible with all stereo phono stages. 

Yamamoto MC Cartridges give you incredible performance for a relatively modest investment.  

YC-03S / YC-03M Specifications

  • Low impedance MC cartridge
  • YC-03S: 45/45system stereo
  • YC-03M: Parallel 2 winding 4 terminal monaural
  • Output voltage: 0.25mV (1kHz, 5cm/sec.)
  • Channel sepalation: YC-03S is >/=25dB 
  • Channel balance: 1dB or less
  • Cantilever YC-03S: 0.26mm dia. solid boron
  • Cantilever YC-03M: 0.50mm dia. aluminum pipe 
  • Stylus YC-03S: Line contact
  • Stylus YC-03M: Round 
  • Impedance: 1.2ohms
  • Proper needle pressure: 1.2-2.0g 
  • Frequency characteristic: 20-20,000Hz
  • Body YC-03S: African blackwood 
  • Body YC-03M: Boxwood material 
  • Magnet: Neodymium
  • Outside dimension: 18 (W) 30 (L) 15 (H)
  • Weight YC-03S: 8.0g
  • Weight YC-03M: 6.7g
  • Accessories: four-sets of M2.6 brass and gold plating attachment screws
  • Price: $1,000
  • Rebuild price: $550
 

 

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