Headshells
Headshells serve as a tuning element for your front end, and your experimentation can reap rewards.
They can change both the energy transfer characteristics between your cartridge and tonearm, as well as the effective mass, to better match your arm to a cartridge.
We cover some of our thoughts on selecting a headshell in this blog post. As we note there, some of the headshells below might not be our first choice, but taking our commentary into consideration, one of these might be the headshell for you.
Arché - $795
click to visit Arché
Revolutionary in its approach, the Arché allows for setting SRA at the headshell (+/- 2 degrees) - this, in addition to zenith and azimuth.
This allows the tonearm bearing's vertical position to be independent of the SRA setting, allowing you to optimize it's height relative to the record surface.
It also means that the only parameters you need to adjust when swapping cartridges are tracking force and anti-skate.
Additional cartridge plates can be purchased separately, allowing for quick cartridge swaps.
Fabricated from aircraft grade aluminum (AP7075) with titanium rails, careful attention is paid to rigidity and resonance control at every step - from manufacture to assembly.
Available in multiple finishes and 3 masses (11.8, 14, and 18 grams).
DS Audio HS-001 - $450
click to visit DS Audio
Machined from a solid billet of duraluminum, the litz leads are soldered to the headshell pins to eliminate one connection.
As we've noted elsewhere, it's unclear how much effect eliminating a connection has on the integrity of the signal, but at a minimum, take this is an indication of the attention to detail DS Audio takes with these headshells.
Unsoldered versions are available by special order.
A combination of dual alignment pins and a compression washer improves both the mechanical as well as electrical integrity of the headshell connection.
The HS-001 is on the lower mass side for high-performance headshells, but it is not low mass.
Paired with a light tonearm (e.g. Jelco 9", Schick 9.6"), the combined effective mass will be in the 12-14 gram range, which is consistent with the requirements of most medium to medium low compliance cartridges.
Mass: 10.5 g (excluding shell lead wire)
Shell lead wire: 4N litz φ 0.08 x 10 x 3 yore rings
Thomas Schick (graphite) - $295
click to visit Thomas Schick
The Thomas Schick headshell is graphite which is extremely rigid, and is the lightest headshell we offer.
It can be particularly useful in matching a medium compliance cartridge to an arm that would otherwise have too much mass.
My Sonic Lab SH-1Rh - $250
click to visit My Sonic Lab
Fabricated from 6063S aluminum, these are an excellent match for the My Sonic Lab cartridges.
This headshell has three fixed overhang mounting positions and is best suited to the My Sonic Lab cartridges.
Mass is 14 grams.
Ortofon - $99 - $575
click to visit Ortofon
Key differentiating features include material, as well as whether azimuth is adjustable.
Scroll down for a feature summary and pricing.
LH-2000
LH-4000
LH-6000
LH-8000
LH-9000
LH-10000
Model | Material | Adjustable Azimuth | Mass | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
LH-2000 | Aluminum | no | 15.5g | $ 99 |
LH-4000 | Aluminum | yes | 14.3g | $ 109 |
LH-6000 | Magnesium | no | 13.5g | $ 149 |
LH-8000 | Oaktree / Urushi Lacquer | no | 8.5g | $ 199 |
LH-9000 | Magnesium / Carbon Fiber | yes | 16.8g | $ 259 |
LH-10000 | Aluminum / Zinc Alloy | no | 14.5g | $ 575 |
Ikeda - coming soon
click to enlarge
We'll have more to say about headshells designed by Ikeda-san in the coming days.
