Goldring has built its name over the years with a wide range of affordable moving coil and moving magnet cartridges including the award-winning E4 and Eroica HX that we reviewed in 2023. Both set very high standards at very different price points.
Where the brand does not get enough recognition is at the very top of the moving coil category; the standard Ethos ($1,599 at Amazon) moving coil phono cartridge has been an audiophile favorite overseas for a number of years but North American vinyl listeners have never really given this exceptional cartridge the proper attention that it deserves.
The new Goldring Ethos SE hopes to win over those who prize the clarity, resolution, and detail retrieval of the best moving coil cartridges below $2,000.
Thanks to a raft of exclusive and carefully engineered upgrades – including pure silver coils, low reluctance pole shoes and a black anodized, aircraft-grade aluminium body – the Ethos SE sets entirely new standards in terms of detail retrieval, channel separation and low coloration.
Key Features:
- New pure silver coils feature fewer windings with higher conductivity, reducing the effective tip mass and internal impedance of the pick-up for improved tracking and greater transient response.
- Low-mass cross-armature core made from Swedish iron improves channel separation and produces a more realistic soundstage.
- A vital line-contact diamond stylus features a narrow, low tip-mass, large contact-area that .enhances high-frequency response and minimises distortion and colouration.
- New low reluctance pole-shoes ensure smooth and extended frequency response via an exclusive process.
- Low-resonance, aircraft-grade aluminium body is selected for its low density and superior rigidity.
New Pure Silver Coils
Reducing the effective tip mass of any phonograph pick-up will enhance its performance. The Ethos SE relies on Ag 9999 pure silver coil windings which have very low internal resistance and lower mass because fewer windings are used.
The coils therefore have a significantly lower mass than our standard copper windings. This means the Ethos SE is better able to negotiate or ‘track’ the record groove without losing contact. The upshot is greater transient response, a reduction in resonance throughout the audio band, and flatter overall frequency response.
Low-Mass Cross-Armature
By using high permeability Swedish iron in a low-mass cross-shape, rather than the conventional (and heavier) square alternative, Goldring has improved channel separation and delivered an armature assembly that can produce an extraordinarily realistic stereo soundstage. High frequency detail levels are improved, with reduced levels of distortion and excellent tracking.
Vital Line-Contact Diamond Stylus
In order to retrieve the highest frequencies in a recording, Ethos SE uses a narrow, low tip-mass, large contact-area diamond stylus. This vital-shank, nude design has a polyhedral, line-contact diamond profile, and is connected to the armature by a stiff-yet-lightweight alloy cantilever tube. So, as well as having a remarkably good high-frequency response, distortion, resonance and coloration are minimized.
GOL-1 Generator
Originally developed during vinyl’s initial rise to ubiquity, the GOL-1 generator ensures a smooth and extended frequency response. It’s still handmade by Goldring, and here it is presented as an example of the company’s ongoing dedication to refinement of every aspect of its design and assembly.
Exclusively for the SE version, the pole shoes have been subjected to a new process, which enhances the permeability of the metal, creating a lower reluctance magnetic circuit. This serves to flatten and extend the frequency response, especially in the upper registers where musical detail resides.
Aircraft Aluminium Body
The GOL-1 generator is fitted into a precision-milled 6082-T6 aircraft-grade aluminium body shell. This material was carefully selected for its low density and superior rigidity – and thanks to its anodized black finish it’s as good-looking as it is durable.
Specifications
- Frequency Response 20 Hz – 20 kHz ± 2 dB
- Frequency Range 12 Hz – 32 kHz
- Channel Balance within 1 dB @ 1 kHz
- Channel Separation better than 30 dB @ 1 kHz
- Sensitivity 0.35 mV ± 1 dB, 1 kHz @ 5 cm/sec
- Static Compliance 28 mm/N
- Trackability 90 um (@ 315 Hz)
- Equivalent tip mass 0.34 mg
- Vertical Tracking Angle 20 °
- Stylus Profile: Vital line-contact
- Stylus Radius: 35 x 8 μm (0.3 mil)
- Stylus Type Non-Replaceable (re-tip service available see website)
- Load Resistance 100 Ω
- Load Capacitance 100 – 500 pF
- Internal Inductance 3.5 uH
- Internal Resistance 4.2 Ω
- Cartridge Mass 7.7 g
- Cartridge Mass (inc. fixings) 8.5 g (without stylus cover)
- Fixing Centres 0.5 ” (12.7 mm)
- Playing Weight 1.5 – 2.0 g (1.75 g nom.)
Price & Availability
The Goldring Ethos SE moving coil cartridge is available in now priced at $1,999 USD (£1,299 / €1,599).
To buy the Goldring Ethos SE moving coil cartridge and discover other Goldring products please visit www.goldring.co.uk (UK) or www.goldringusa.com (US).
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