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Benz Micro Northamerica BENZ MICRO GLIDER SM
The Glider SM (medium output level) was designed for systems and tube phono stages with gains between 45 – 58dB.
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Professional Reviews 92/100
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
95/100
Build Quality
90/100
Features Usability
89/100
Value for Money
85/100
The lush midrange, airy treble, and commanding bass of this low-output MC make it a standout for medium-mass arms. In The Absolute Sound, Neil Gader praises its tonal balance, deep imaging, and fine inner detail, while noting it stays musical and refined without glare—an accomplished cartridge for listeners who want honesty with real drive.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Superb tonal balance with warmth, lush mids, and treble that remains open and non-fatiguing.
Excellent low-level detail retrieval and separation of complex inner voices.
Striking depth and vocal placement cues create a convincing soundstage perspective.
Bass is powerful, well-shaped, and notable for its pitch and timbral control.
&
Cons
Its low 0.8 mV output means it still needs a suitably capable phono stage and careful system matching.
Those wanting a larger, more epic soundstage or extra extreme-frequency air may want more scale.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 95/100
Reviewers describe a cartridge with superb tonal balance, a warm lower end, a lush midrange, and treble that stays airy and delicate without turning etched or dry. The overall impression is of a cartridge that is musically expressive yet honest, with particularly strong bass weight and a presentation that never sounds forced.
Overall Sound
95/100
Neil Gader calls the Glider SM's tonal balance 'superlative' and praises its mix of warmth, lushness, and treble air without etch or dryness. He also says he liked the musical synergy more than anything he had auditioned recently, and describes the cartridge as tonally honest while still highly expressive.
Tracking Retrieval
94/100
The review praises 'gobs of low-level detail,' excellent separation of inner voices, and fast transient response with strong micro-dynamic shading. It is presented as a serious retriever of musical information, though the evidence comes from one review rather than repeated cross-publication superlatives.
Soundstage Imaging
95/100
Imaging and depth are repeatedly singled out, with praise for distance cues, depth, and vocal placement, including the claim that it retrieved those cues 'like no cartridge I’ve reviewed in the last two years.' That reads as excellent spatial performance with especially strong depth portrayal.
FEATURES USABILITY PERFORMANCE 89/100
The Glider SM is described as optimized for medium-mass tonearms and as an excellent fit with the reviewer's SME V/SOTA Cosmos rig. Its 0.8 mV output is low enough to need a capable phono stage, but not so demanding that it requires an ultra-specialized one, which keeps system matching fairly approachable for an MC of this type.
Tonearm Compatibility
89/100
The cartridge is explicitly tuned for medium-mass tonearms, and the reviewer found it an excellent match with his own arm/table combination. Its moderate output and medium loading requirements suggest some setup care, but nothing especially fussy beyond normal low-output MC matching.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
90/100
The review gives little direct commentary on long-term construction, but the cartridge is presented as a serious, well-executed design with a Micro Ridge stylus and a lightweight body suited to proper arm matching. Reviewers focus more on performance than on physical fit and finish, so the build impression rests mostly on the care implied by the design and execution.
Value for Money
85/100
The review offers only limited value commentary. It notes that the Glider's 0.8 mV output is not unusually demanding on a phono stage, but it does not compare the cartridge's asking price against direct rivals or argue strongly for its value at the market price.
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Authorized dealers for Benz Micro Northamerica BENZ MICRO GLIDER SM
- 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
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