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Benz Micro Northamerica BENZ MICRO ACE SH
The ACE SH is the high output version of the ACE S Class and represents excellence in price/quality ratio for today’s Swiss hand-made cartridges.
Dealers selling Benz Micro Northamerica near you
Authorized dealers for Benz Micro Northamerica BENZ MICRO ACE SH
- In Living Stereo — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- A/V Solutions — in-store — Pleasanton, California, United States (website)
- Absolute Hi End — in-store — Ormond, Victoria, Australia (website)
- Alen Audio — in-store — Extramurs, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
- Analogue Seduction — online and in-store — Whittlesey, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Aris Audio — in-store — Salt Lake City, Utah, United States (website)
- Arizona Hi-Fi — in-store — Phoenix, Arizona, United States (website)
- Assai Audio — in-store — Centro, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain (website)
- Audio Basic — in-store — Singapore, Singapore (website)
and 52 more verified dealers
The Micro Ridge stylus and articulate detail give this cartridge a vivid, highly resolving voice, with instruments and vocals emerging in striking separation. HiFi News praised its realism, bouncy bass and precise imaging, while noting a revealing treble and its lack of a stylus guard make it a cartridge for careful, rewarding listening.
Pros
- Exceptional detail retrieval and realism, with strong separation of instruments and voices.
- Fast, bouncy bass that keeps the presentation lively and agile.
- Precise imaging and strong left-to-right placement that makes performances feel vividly mapped.
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Cons
- The revealing top end can become fatiguing at generous listening levels.
- The exposed generator and lack of stylus guard make setup and handling less forgiving.
- It does not convey venue ambience quite as well on every recording.
Sound Quality
90/100
Strongly praised as a highly resolving, musically vivid cartridge with standout detail retrieval and convincing musical separation. The review repeatedly highlights its ability to expose layers in a recording and render instruments and voices with texture and realism, though it also notes a somewhat revealing top end that can become fatiguing at high volume.
Overall Sound
91/100
Reviewer language is distinctly enthusiastic: the ACE SH is described as delivering 'a level of detail and realism beyond the other cartridges' and as removing 'layers from a recording to expose the live performance.' It also gives Buckley's voice notable texture and life, pointing to a refined, engaging overall tonal character rather than merely analytical detail.
Tracking Retrieval
91/100
While there is limited explicit inner-groove or mistracking commentary, the cartridge is praised for exceptional extraction of musical information and for separating simultaneous instrumental lines without letting any one dominate. The repeated focus on realism, layer removal, and fine treble differentiation supports a very strong retrieval score, though not quite the rarefied level reserved for unambiguous tracking superlatives.
Soundstage Imaging
89/100
Imaging is described very positively, with lyrics seeming to move around the listening space and violin sections delineated with 'almost clinical precision.' The only reservation is that it did not capture venue ambience quite as well as it did on another recording, so this is excellent rather than outright best-in-class.
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Build Quality
86/100
The packaging, accessories, and Swiss pedigree give a strong impression of careful product execution, and the threaded mounting holes are a practical plus during setup. The exposed generator and lack of stylus guard make it feel precise and somewhat delicate, so this reads as very well made rather than rugged or overbuilt.
Features Usability
82/100
Tonearm compatibility is helped by the moderate 14cu compliance, standard moving-coil setup requirements, and threaded mounting holes that simplify installation. At the same time, the exposed generator and absence of a stylus guard mean it demands a careful hand, so it is usable across sensible setups but not especially carefree.
The 14cu compliance and 2.5 mV output suggest a cartridge that should be workable in a broad range of arms and phono stages, with the threaded mounting holes making installation easier. Still, the exposed generator and missing stylus guard mean it is somewhat less forgiving in day-to-day handling and setup than the most user-friendly designs.
Value for Money
82/100
At £595 in the reviewed context, it comes across as competitively positioned rather than obviously overpriced, especially given the top-place praise in a group test. The review does not use strong bargain language, though, so this is more a justified premium purchase than a standout value play versus peers.
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