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Allnic/ZL Technologies Rose
Allnic Audio is glad to introduce a new thrilling MC cartridge, Rose, overwhelmingly surpassing the Puritas . Rose is guaranteed not to displease any LP lovers.
- Cutter head type MC cartridge
- A new rubber damper developed by Allnic Audio
- New CCA (Copper Clad Aluminium) dual coils
- Fritz Gyger 2 Stylus
- Aluminium cantilever
STRUCTURE MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE
First, every LP record master is engraved using an LP cutting lathe’s cutter head. The Rose moving coil (MC) cartridges are designed to reproduce music via a mechanism that emulates the LP cutting lathe’s cutter head (below picture), of course, however, with a diamond stylus that tracks the record grooves’ faces, rather than with a diamond chisel for cutting the grooves into the vinyl.
Second, the Rose has two separate hollow polycarbonate bobbins, as opposed to one bobbin designed as an iron square or cross-block.
Third, iron is about nine times heavier than polycarbonate, so a conventional iron bobbin reacts with far less agility to the musical grooves of a vinyl record than one made of hollow polycarbonate.
Fourth, as a cantilever moves along the vinyl’s grooves, it needs a pivot. Conventional MC cartridges’ coils are located near the pivot because of their heavy moving mass. Because of its lighter moving mass, relative to conventional MC cartridges, the Allnic Rose’s coils are nearer to the diamond stylus. The result for the Rose is increased coil vibration capability and, therefore, more detailed audio reproduction.
Dealers selling Allnic/ZL Technologies near you
Authorized dealers for Allnic/ZL Technologies Rose
- Audioplus Hi End — in-store — San Benedetto del Tronto, Marche, Italy (website)
- East End Hi-Fi — in-store — Brookhaven, New York, United States (website)
- Kronos Audio Visual — online and in-store — Staplefield, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Live Fidelity — in-store — Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands (website)
- Moorgate Acoustics — online and in-store — Woodseats, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Norsk Audio Teknikk — in-store — Sofiemyr, Akershus, Norway (website)
- Perfect sense Audio — in-store — Stockholms län, Sweden (website)
- Rennaissens — online and in-store — Boulogne-Billancourt, Île-de-France, France (website)
- SALLINGBOE AUDIO — in-store — Svebølle, Denmark (website)
- Salon One Audio — in-store — Ormond Beach, Florida, United States (website)
and 6 more verified dealers
With deep bass, a wide soundstage, and impressively low surface noise, the Rose sounds poised and highly musical. Audiophilia called it a bargain that performs above its price point, while Enjoy The Music praised its transparent midrange and pin-point imaging. It is a refined moving-coil cartridge that rewards careful setup with remarkably immersive vinyl playback.
Pros
- Excellent low-frequency reproduction with tight, pitch-specific bass.
- Generates a large, precise soundstage with pin-point imaging and broad separation.
- Suppresses surface noise well and keeps playback very quiet.
- Easy to install and strongly regarded for its value relative to performance.
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Cons
- Requires careful setup and fine-tuning of VTA and tracking force to reach its best sound.
- Lacks a stylus guard, which reviewers felt would be welcome at this price.
- Can sound slightly dark in tone compared with more neutral references.
Sound Quality
92/100
Weighted average of the three sub-criteria below. Reviewers consistently describe the Rose as outstanding, with especially strong bass, clarity, and a highly articulate presentation that feels above its class.
Overall Sound
91/100
Tom Lyle calls listening to the Rose in his system 'outstanding' and says it is more than just a 'decent' cartridge. Across the reviews, the cartridge is praised for natural, lifelike timbre, transparent midrange, and a presentation that sounds more musical and detailed than expected at this level.
Tracking Retrieval
93/100
The Rose is credited with excellent groove-reading ability: it 'sailed through' difficult complex passages, suppresses surface noise well, and delivers a 'more detailed' sound with very low sibilance. The Fritz Gyger 2 stylus appears to be well implemented here, with strong retrieval and clean tracing rather than any noticeable tracking weakness.
Soundstage Imaging
93/100
Both reviews emphasize a large, precise soundstage with pin-point images and broad separation between instruments. Tom Lyle describes a 'wide and deep soundstage' and even a medium-sized orchestra appearing in miniature in front of him, while Audiophilia calls the soundstage 'superb' and especially impressive for the price.
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Build Quality
89/100
The Rose is described as beautiful to look at and very easy to install, which supports a strong impression of good industrial execution. The Duralumin body, 11g weight, and careful generator/stylus implementation suggest thoughtful construction, though the reviews stop short of presenting it as a class-leading luxury build.
Features Usability
88/100
Tonearm compatibility looks broadly favorable for a moving-coil cartridge: the 0.4mV output, 9 ohm impedance, and 10 x 10-6 compliance suggest a reasonably manageable but not ultra-forgiving setup. Reviewers also note that it is easy to install and behaves well in real systems, though it still remains a cartridge that will reward proper arm and phono matching.
The Rose appears practical to live with for a moving-coil design, with setup described as easy and no reports of finicky behavior. Its moderate compliance and standard moving-coil requirements mean it should fit a decent range of tonearms, but it is still a specialized cartridge that benefits from careful matching.
Value for Money
93/100
Value language is strongly positive: Audiophilia calls the Rose 'a true bargain' and says it performs above its price point, while Enjoy the Music frames it as impressively competitive in the $2900 context. Even at the top end of its price range, reviewers clearly feel it delivers performance and sound quality that outstrip expectations and peers.
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