Sumiko Oriole

Oriole maintains the tonally balanced, refined & fatigueless character for which Sumiko is globally regarded. Enhanced with a high-efficiency, low-impedance generator as well as a nude Shibata line-contact stylus, Oriole confidently asserts itself as a meaningful upgrade from Songbird that approaches the performance of our venerable Starling.  The stylus and generator deliver impeccable detail retrieval, emotionally captivating dynamics, speedy attack and sweet resolution. Deeply musical and endlessly listenable, Oriole is alluring in its wholly analog-sounding character. It portrays musical material in natural balance with its surrounding ambience, and with life-like nuance. Silent in the groove, music blossoms from a jet-black background and invites you into the most intimate spaces of a keenly-rendered soundstage.

So solid and reassuring is the Sumiko Oriole, from its sound to its construction… this cartridge is an exemplar of modern MC performance… Spend time on the setup, especially VTA, and you’ll think this cost £3000.” —Hi-Fi News Outstanding Product

“[Translation] The sound: superb, nuanced, fluid, and characterized by remarkable delicacy and airiness…. it is linear, rich in subtle shadings, and deeply dimensional. Listening to it unveils an evocative sonic landscape that sacrifices neither precision nor sensitivity… Subtle and authentic.” —Diapason Golden Tuning Fork (France)

“In all cases though, the Oriole is a fascinating new addition to cartridges at the price. It conspires to look and feel special; a sort of special that will require a bit of care using it but special nonetheless. What’s more, it has attributes that are rare even at this elevated price point…” —AV Forums Highly Recommended

“Joe Gordon’s trumpet was especially impressive, with a purity of timbre and sense of clean dynamics you rarely hear. The Oriole behaved flawlessly, with superb tracking and no peakiness.” —Stereophile

Our Reference Series Open-Body MCs

Our Reference Series open-architecture cartridges minimize the potential for coloration and distortion due to energy buildup that is sometimes propagated by the conventional cartridge body. Internal resonance is damped within the generator while remaining resonance travels up through the bonded mounting plate & headblock, then down the tonearm where it is dissipated harmlessly. The PEEK generator mounting plate provides the utmost stability and energy transfer while the stiff alloy headblock is the conduit through which that energy exits the cartridge. The generator itself minimizes distortion and losses through the implementation of pure metals and intelligent orientation of the same. The performance of this sophisticated generator is bolstered by our multi-faceted approach to resonance control, precipitating to clean, musical, and highly listenable sonics.

Trade In or Trade Up

As user-replaceable styli are not on an option for MC phono cartridges, remember that any of our MCs, functional or otherwise, can be returned to your dealer in a re-tip exchange — a discount on a new cartridge of equal or greater value — sparing you expense when your stylus heads south. *Note: The trade-in program is valid for US customers only.

Hand-Crafted in Japan

Each Sumiko phono cartridge is hand-assembled by the world-class cartridge makers at Excel Sound in Yokohama, Japan – a relationship we’ve proudly maintained for nearly forty years. We use only the finest materials that combine to deliver performance that has enlightened generations of listeners. Each design is thoroughly auditioned until it meets our stringent standards for sound. Production is then executed by expert craftsmen with a collective eye for precision & quality. The result is a family of cartridges that render emotion through tonally balanced, refined and fatigueless analog reproduction.