AVID Hifi Boron
AVID Hifi’s Boron MC cartridge blends a rich midrange, silky treble and exceptionally stable imaging into a poised, non-clinical analogue presentation. HiFi News found it more relaxed and system-friendly than the flagship Ruby, while HiFi Advice praised its striking neutrality. Its boron cantilever and micro-ridge diamond stylus make it a compelling high-end balance of resolution, warmth and composure.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
92/100
Build Quality
91/100
Features Usability
80/100
Value for Money
90/100
Pros
Rich, glorious midrange and especially silky, refined treble deliver a relaxed high-resolution balance.
Wide, three-dimensional staging with a notably stable, rock-solid centre image.
Exceptionally neutral, non-clinical presentation, with a robust proprietary construction and secure, easy-to-handle stylus guard.
Cons
Ultimate stage depth, attack and speed are fractionally behind the more expensive Reference Ruby.
Low compliance makes careful matching with a medium-mass tonearm important.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 92/100
Reviews describe a notably neutral yet musically accommodating presentation, pairing a rich midband and silky treble with very stable imaging. It closely approaches the more expensive Ruby's spatial performance, although the Ruby retains an edge in ultimate attack, speed and stage depth.
Overall Sound
93/100
HiFi Advice repeatedly characterises the Boron as "utterly neutral," while Hi-Fi News found it more ear-friendly and less system-critical than the flagship Ruby. Ken Kessler also heard a rich, glorious midband and an especially silky, refined top end; bass is slightly less forceful than the Ruby's.
Tracking Retrieval
89/100
The solid-diamond micro-ridge stylus and boron cantilever are specified for fine groove tracing, and the review reports a stable, polished presentation rather than overt mistracking concerns. Direct listening comments on difficult inner grooves, sibilance or heavily modulated passages are limited.
Soundstage Imaging
94/100
Hi-Fi News found the Boron's stage width and three-dimensionality to match the Ruby's, with an arguably more rock-solid centre image. Absolute stage depth was described as very slightly reduced beside the flagship, rather than lacking in its own right.
FEATURES USABILITY PERFORMANCE 80/100
Tonearm compatibility / system fit.
Tonearm Compatibility
80/100
At 9.1g with low 9cu compliance, the Boron is intended for medium-mass arms and is reported to suit roughly 11-16g effective-mass tonearms especially well. Its 0.32mV moving-coil output also calls for an appropriately quiet MC phono stage and careful system matching, though installation itself was described as straightforward.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
91/100
The Boron uses a boron rod cantilever, micro-ridge diamond and a proprietary AVID body and yoke assembly intended to control unwanted vibration. Reviewers also praise the substantial in-house protective puck and the redesigned stylus guard, which fits securely while remaining easy to remove.
Value for Money
90/100
At around £4,000 or €5,250, this remains a serious high-end purchase, but Hi-Fi News notes that choosing it over the Ruby saves £2,000. HiFi Advice calls it a potential sweet spot in AVID's three-cartridge range because it retains much of the flagship design and performance with the less costly boron cantilever.
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Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- TYPE:
- MOVING COIL
- OUTPUT VOLTAGE:
- 0.32mV
- FREQUENCY RESPONSE:
- 10Hz-45KHz
- TRACKING FORCE:
- 2.0gr (±0.2gr)
- LOAD IMPEDANCE:
- >100Ω
- CANTILEVER MATERIAL:
- BORON
- STYLUS PROFILE:
- MICRO-RIDGE
- STYLUS MATERIAL:
- SOLID DIAMOND
- NET WEIGHT:
- 9.1gr
Manufacturer's Description — AVID Hifi
Luxuriously black in finish, as the name announces, Boron has been employed for the cantilever. Light and stiff, it’s a perfect material for this application and coupled with the micro ridge stylus, offers a silky-smooth sound with the openness and pace of its big brother.
Grooves are negotiated without any fluster, offering up the musical entirety of your records with a dynamic, life like presentation and drawing you into the performance.
"I once more heard a rich and glorious midband"
-Ken Kessler
Key Features
- Solid Boron Cantilever
- Micro Ridge Diamond Stylus
- Three Dimensional Sound Stage
- Exceptionally Low Needle Talk
window of sound
Surface noise, the scourge of playing vinyl records disappears to almost vanishing point using the micro ridge stylus and reducing the commonly heard 'needle-talk' which causes distortion and damages records.
The low moving mass and length of the cantilever assembly provides excellent tracking and fine information retrieval for a rich, true to life sound. Boron opens a glorious window of sound.
"What’s not to like?"-Stuart Smith
optimal sound
Installing the Boron is a pleasure, leaving you to enjoy the music rather than anxious that set up is less than perfect. The square angled design of the body and extending cantilever allow for accurate, easy installation and precise alignment for optimal sound reproduction and with a purpose designed stylus guard offering protection whilst not in use.
"Delivers a sensational sound performance."- Lothar Brandt
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for AVID Hifi Boron
- Holt Hill — online and in-store — Andover, Massachusetts, United States (website)
- à la carte productions — in-store — Palm Coast, Florida, United States (website)
- Akalın Muzik Ltd. — in-store — İstanbul, Turkey (website)
- Alen Audio — in-store — Extramurs, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (website)
- Anagram Audio — online and in-store — Bury St Edmunds, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Analogue Seduction — online and in-store — Whittlesey, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Andertons — online and in-store — Guildford, England, United Kingdom (website)
- ARK Audio — online and in-store — Borensberg, Östergötlands län, Sweden (website)
- Audio Centrum — Hungary (website)
- Audio Domain — online and in-store — Stadtbezirke I, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany (website)
and 55 more verified dealers