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Soundsmith NORMA Moving Iron Cartridge

Soundsmith NORMA Moving Iron Cartridge

$3,670.00
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Soundsmith NORMA Moving Iron Cartridge

Soundsmith

Country of origin: USA

Soundsmith NORMA Moving Iron Cartridge
SKU: NORMA
$3,670.00

Includes GST. 🚚 Free shipping on orders over $100 Australia wide at checkout.

Provide massive headroom and a detail-rich, natural sound for any headphone type. This flagship unit features the Phonitor Matrix with six crossfeed settings to recreate a speaker-like spatial image. An integrated high-resolution DAC768 ensures stunningly transparent digital playback.

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Every order ships free to any address in Australia via fully tracked, insured delivery. You’ll receive a tracking link once your order is dispatched so you can follow it the whole way. Estimated delivery is 1-4 business days.

We handle your warranty so you don’t have to. If something isn’t right, simply get in touch and we will coordinate directly with the Australian importer on your behalf. Find out more. click here to lodge a warranty claim.

Whether you’re browsing or already unboxing, Geoff is your friendly hi-fi guide available 7 days a week. From choosing the right system to setting up your new purchase, expert advice is always within reach. Contact Geoff today.

Price is important, but building the right system synergy is equally so. If you’ve found a better price on one of our products or listings, simply get in touch with Geoff. Don’t let price stand in the way of working with HeyNow Hi-Fi to find the right result for your system.
Description

The Soundsmith Norma is a medium-output version of the incredible Aida high-output cartridge. If your phonostage has a fixed gain setting between 48dB-58dB, no longer is there any fear of overloading with a high output MM cartridge or having to ramp up the volume with a low output MC type. 

The Aida cartridge by The Soundsmith (formerly SMMC1) is a Stereophile A RATED cartridge. That is the "price is no object" range. Where are we in the price range of those cartridges? At the bottom. There isn't anyone even close to our price. Did Michael Fremer take some flack for doing that? You bet. How did he respond?? he said - "I put it in that group - because it deserved to BE in that group".

We build it with love and respect for your hard earned dollars. Here is the "micro-manufacturing" reality:

All top end cartridges from all manufacturers are handmade. The real issue is that when you are manufacturing something so tiny, that has to perform so well, that all of them are NOT the same. If you don’t see this statement from other manufacturers, then this is a "secret" they don’t want to share, and quite understandably so.

So.....what does Soundsmith do??

We carefully hand build each and every cartridge, test them, and keep accurate records by serial number of their performance. Those that meet or exceed specifications are sold. But, there are always a few that don't measure well. What do we do with them? We don't sell them. We break them down and re-use some parts that can be used again. Does this cost real money? You bet. But what it does do is this.....the ones that DO pass our stringent testing out-perform many cartridges selling for two, three, four, or even five times the price. Are we unabashedly proud of our hand-made cartridges??

YES.

Some ask:

"Moving Iron Cartridges better?? I thought that moving COIL types are the best??"

Our cartridges overturn the myth that moving coil cartridges are the only path towards perfection. After all, what is the accepted “advantage” of moving coil cartridges? Low effective moving mass, right? Well, we've got less. Much less. And if you understand EFFECTIVE moving mass, Less IS more. Why is that good? Because when you lower the moving system mass, it’s easier to control. If it’s easier to control, the stylus can stay in better contact with the groove walls. That’s good because if you can’t stay in contact with the groove walls, you can’t hear what’s on the record.

Is a high gain moving coil preamp required? No. "Aida” is designed to be used with a Moving Magnet preamp. No "step-up" transformers. No finicky multi-stage ultra high gain preamp required. Less is more here, too.

Tech Specs
Output: • Medium
Output Voltage: • 1.1 mV
Type: • Fixed Coil / Moving Iron
Mount: • Standard ½”
Cartridge Height:

• WITHOUT ALUMINA inserts = .675” top to stylus tip – with two half round alumina pieces for ground isolation add .010”

• WITH center slot full round Alumina (use for azimuth adjustment if your arm does NOT allow such) = .733”
Stylus: • Contact Line, Nude, 0.10 mm squar
Stylus: • Contact Line, Nude, 0.10 mm square
Radius of Curvature: • Optimized Contour Contact Line
Cantilever: • Ruby
Recommended Tracking Force: • 1.3 - 1.6 g Standard (Medium Compliance)
• 1.0 - 1.2 g (Special Order High Compliance)
Effective Tip Mass: • 0.30 mg
Compliance: • 22 µm/mN (Medium Compliance)
• 28 µm/mN (High Compliance)
Frequence Response: • 20 - 20,000 Hz ± 2.5 dB
Channel Separation @ 1000 Hz: • > 30 dB
• N/A (Mono version)
Channel Separation @ 50 - 15,000 Hz: • > 25 dB
• N/A (Mono version)
Channel Difference: • < 1.0 dB
• < 1.0 dB (Mono version)
Output Voltage @ 5cm/sec: • > 1.10 mV (MEDIUM)
DC Resistance (DCR): • 110Ω
Coil Inductance per channel: • 30 mH
Suggested Preamp Gain: • 48 - 54 dB
Cartridge Weight: • 6.80 g
Recommended Load Resistance: • ≥ 1.5kΩ
Recommended Load Capacitance: • n/a
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Warranty Information
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We care about your experience with HeyNow Hi-Fi, and we’re here to make the warranty process as smooth as possible.

Your warranty is handled directly by the Australian importer. By submitting this form, we’ll coordinate the process for you and keep you updated every step of the way. Important: Shipping fees are not included as part of your warranty coverage.

If your HeyNow Hi-Fi purchase isn’t working as it should, click here to lodge a warranty claim.

Should you have any questions, feel free to contact us https://www.heynowhifi.com.au//pages/contact

Why Choose Soundsmith

Soundsmith is an American analogue manufacturer best known for its unique moving iron phono cartridge designs, handcrafted production methods, and long-standing dedication to vinyl playback innovation. Founded by renowned designer Peter Ledermann, Soundsmith has developed a strong international reputation for producing cartridges that combine the speed and detail retrieval often associated with moving coil designs together with the practicality, compatibility, and ease of ownership traditionally associated with moving magnet cartridges.

What makes Soundsmith particularly distinctive is its moving iron generator technology. Unlike conventional moving coil cartridges that often require specialised phono gain, difficult loading requirements, or lower compliance tonearm matching, Soundsmith cartridges offer a far more flexible and system-friendly solution. Their higher output levels and compatibility with standard 47kΩ moving magnet phono inputs make them exceptionally easy to integrate into a wide range of analogue systems while still delivering highly refined high-end performance.

At HeyNow Hi-Fi, Soundsmith cartridges make enormous sense for customers wanting serious analogue performance without some of the complexity and ongoing costs associated with low-output moving coil ownership. Their excellent compliance characteristics, strong tracking ability, and user-friendly loading requirements allow them to work beautifully across many modern tonearms and phono stages while delivering a highly engaging and natural musical presentation.

Signature Design and Sound

Handcrafted in the USA, Soundsmith cartridges are built around Peter Ledermann’s moving iron generator philosophy, a design approach that offers extremely low moving mass while maintaining higher output levels and reduced coil-related limitations compared with many traditional moving coil designs.

One of the major advantages of the moving iron principle is the ability to preserve speed, transient accuracy, and low-level detail retrieval while remaining electrically compatible with standard moving magnet phono stages operating at 47kΩ input loading. This makes Soundsmith cartridges remarkably versatile and considerably easier to integrate into real-world systems than many specialised low-output moving coil designs.

Sonically, Soundsmith cartridges are known for their openness, speed, and highly articulate presentation. The sound feels clean, spacious, and dynamically expressive, with excellent retrieval of texture and transient detail while still maintaining tonal body and musical coherence. Vocals sound vivid and immediate, instruments carry excellent separation and realism, and the overall presentation remains highly engaging without becoming clinical or overly analytical.

Another major advantage of Soundsmith ownership is long-term serviceability. Many Soundsmith cartridges are designed to be rebuildable and retippable directly through the manufacturer, creating strong long-term ownership value for serious vinyl enthusiasts investing in high-performance analogue playback.

Soundsmith Product Range

The Soundsmith range includes moving iron cartridges across multiple performance levels, including highly regarded models such as The Voice, Zephyr, Carmen, Sussurro, Hyperion, and Paua series. The company also produces strain gauge systems, cartridge restoration services, and specialised analogue accessories developed through Peter Ledermann’s decades of cartridge engineering experience.

Soundsmith cartridges are particularly appealing for listeners seeking a highly musical and technically sophisticated alternative to traditional moving coil designs. Their combination of moving magnet compatibility, excellent compliance behaviour, strong tracking performance, and refined sonic presentation makes them one of the more unique and compelling cartridge options available within modern analogue playback.

At HeyNow Hi-Fi, Geoff and his experienced analogue setup team provide cartridge mounting, alignment, tonearm compatibility assessment, and phono stage matching to ensure Soundsmith cartridges perform at their full potential within each customer’s analogue system.

Explore the Soundsmith range:

Tonearms

Phono Pre-amplifiers

Cartridges

Turntable Accessories

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WHY CHOOSE HEYNOW HI-FI?

At HeyNow Hi-Fi, it's not just about the gear - it's about how it all comes together. With over 30 years of experience, Geoff provides personalised, expert advice to help you build a system that suits your music, your space, and listening style.

Whether you're starting from scratch, refining your set up, or upgrading your gear, Geoff is always happy to have a chat. Call or book a private consultation directly with Geoff today.

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