This product is no longer available to order and will not be coming back into stock.
In Stock products are those that are currently held in stock at our Oxfordshire warehouse. This stock status is updated regularly but is subject to change at very short notice.
Products that are Awaiting Stock are items that we would normally carry on stock at our Oxfordshire warehouse, but are currently unavailable. Chances are there is already more on the way, but if you would like a more accurate availability status please feel free to Contact Us.
Urgent order items are products that we do not normally carry on stock, but they are typically held on stock by our European suppliers. Depending on availability, we will seek to order these products quickly, when we have an enquiry. They can therefore be subject to quicker availability times than "Special Order" products.
Special Order items are those that are most often built to order. For these items, we tend to experience longer lead times as we negotiate them into the production line with our suppliers.
Exclusive products are sold only through one, or sometimes a very small number of dealers. As part of their commitment to the product’s exclusivity, they carry most of the available stock. To find out your best dealer for this product and to check its availability with them, click the ‘Recommended Dealers’ button under the product gallery on this page.
Sumiko have meticulously engineered the Oriole to embody the brand’s signature balance and fatigue‑free character, now enhanced with a low‑impedance generator and nude Shibata line‑contact stylus. Its open‑body construction minimises resonance while preserving tonal integrity, allowing music to bloom from an impressively silent background. Each cartridge is hand‑assembled in Japan by master craftsmen, ensuring unwavering precision and consistency. With a focus on natural musical flow and spatial realism, Oriole delivers a cohesive, intimate and thoroughly engaging listening experience.
At the heart of Oriole is a single‑piece nude Shibata diamond that captures exceptional detail without tipping into analytical brightness. Its reduced moving mass allows the stylus to trace micro‑groove information with remarkable fidelity. Supporting this is an alloy‑reinforced hollow aluminium cantilever, designed for maximum rigidity and minimal weight. The result is a highly responsive platform that translates even the finest movements directly and accurately to the coil assembly.
Oriole’s individually wound cross‑coils use specially selected high‑purity copper to maintain signal integrity with minimal loss or distortion. Fewer windings reduce internal impedance, shorten the signal path and increase transient speed, boosting resolution and dynamic expression. Its high‑efficiency magnetic circuit pairs a warm‑sounding Alnico magnet with pure iron components, arranged to minimise saturation and distortion while capturing energy with exceptional efficiency.
Resonance management is central to Oriole’s performance. PEEK mounting components - materials more commonly found in aerospace engineering - provide a stable, non‑resonant foundation that drains unwanted vibration effectively through the tonearm. Internal elements are also mechanically damped to further preserve clarity and musicality. Every unit undergoes microscopic inspection and extensive performance testing, ensuring each cartridge meets the highest standards for trackability, electrical balance and overall sonic excellence.
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