VAN DEN HUL CRIMSON XGW STRADIVARIUS

Reference Mc head. Coils with Gold Matched Crystal winding. Samarium Cobalt magnet. Proprietary VDH 1S stylus. Koa Acacia Wood body treated with triple layer of special Stradivarius lacquer. Output voltage 0.9MV. Reading weight 1.35 1.5 grams. Recommended characteristic impedance between 25 and 200 Ohm. Compatible with arms of effective mass between 10 and 16 grams. Weight 8.5g

The Crimson is a customised high-performance moving coil phono cartridge. This is the result of a cross between our models 'The Canary' and 'The Condor'. This cartridge is made of natural wood lacquered with the special original Stradivarius varnish. The new 'Crimson Stradivarius' gives the cartridge a unique sound impression.

Specific features of this great cartridge are a relatively high output (0.65 mV), gold coils, a Samarium-Cobalt magnet, extensive channel separation and excellent tracking capability.

With the revitalisation of vinyl's popularity, there have been many requests to develop a high-end phono cartridge at a more affordable price than the Colibri. The Crimson is the result and probably one of the best value for money cartridges available. It is completely hand-built by Maestro himself and comes with a 200-hour check-up.

In 2017, this cartridge won numerous awards, including the Product of the Year award from Absolute Sound! Below is what they wrote about the Crimson XGW Stradivarius:

The second of TAS's Phono Cartridges of the Year comes from renowned cartridge designer A.J. van den Hul. With a handmade body of Hawaiian koa wood triple coated with a special Stradivarius-type lacquer, the Crimson uses 24-carat gold coils and a cantilever that is solid boron with a VDH Type 1 (2 × 85 microns) stylus. Our reviewer, Andre Jennings, found the Crimson XGW to be unbiased over most of the frequency spectrum (including the presence range), with wide macro-dynamics from the power region on down. Energetic enough on transients, but less delicately detailed than its twice-expensive cousin, the Crimson XGW Signature Stradivarius, the Crimson counters by outperforming the Colibri in a lower-octave push with propulsive music. The Crimson is not embarrassed in the company of the competition at two (or three) times its asking price in stage, energy, dynamic rhythm and drive, making it a bargain. cartridge lottery of the highest quality and one of 2017's most distinguished Product of the Year awards.

In the event that the compliance value is stated at 100 Hz (usually referring to Japanese cartridges), it simply has to be doubled to find its correspondence at 10 Hz. On the other hand, if the compliance is declared in static regime (usually on cartridges made in the USA), it must be halved to find its value at 10 Hz.

To check whether the resonance frequency is between 8-12 Hz (preferably 9-11 Hz), the optimum value, proceed via the links below.

Resonance Frequency Calculator (table)

Resonance Frequency Calculator