Sumiko Olympia Moving Magnet Cartridge

This is the second of the new Sumiko Oyster series of cartridges. A few months ago I reviewed the Moonstone, the unit directly up the line form the Olympia (HERE).

I found the Moonstone to be an exceptional bargain at the $299 price point. My expectations of the Olympia were to follow suit.

So what are the main differences between the Olympia and the more expensive Moonstone. Well much of it is in the stylus. In the Oyster series, the entry is the Rainier at $149. For another $50 you get the stylus from the Olympia. From the Rainier to the Olympia, you get another level of acoustic refinement to the mix with an upgraded stylus and cantilever assembly, allowing for more dynamic punch and improved frequency response during playback. Due to its improved tracking capabilities, the Olympia is an excellent return on investment when upgrading from the Rainier cartridge, and can even be upgraded to the capable Moonstone stylus further on down the line.

I am used to listening to moving coli cartridges from Koetsu, Jasmine, Denon, Lyra, and a few others. Those moving coil cartridges are known for extreme musicality and a very delicate and balanced delivery.

The Olympia certainly could not match the performance of those cartridges, but it acquits itself quite well for the $199 price tag. When you feel like making an upgrade within the Sumiko family you can simply remove the stylus and replace it with the stylus from the Moonstone, or you can move to the moving coils within the Oyster series line and move to the Sumiko Blue Point Special EVO III for $549. I have owned that particular cartridge twice and can highly recommend it as a very solid cartridge for the price.

As with the Moonstone the setup was a breeze, and the tracking weight was set right at 2 grams and never altered during the review period. As with the Moonstone this cartridge will not wow you with a fancy body made of Cantidentifyium. Just like the Moonstone it is basic black but with a green stylus instead of red. (Mounting this baby on your turntable gives you the right to honestly say you have gone green earning you many points with the PC crowd).

I decided to use the exact same playlist for the review as I did with the Moonstone for consistency sake.

Hiroshima, Another Place (Epic BFE39938)
Rickie Lee Jones, Pop Pop (Geffen Records GEF 24426)
Earl Klugh, Finger Painting (Mobile Fidelity UHQR - MFQR 1-025 / #741)
Eva Cassidy, Songbird (S&P Records 501)
Joe Satriani, Flying in a Blue Dream (Relativity Records 88561-1015-1)
Doobie Brothers, Toulouse Street (Friday Music 212634)
George Benson, Breezin (Warner Brothers BSK 3111)
Harry Conick Jr, Your Songs (Columbia - 8869747228 1)
Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon (SHVL 801)

The Olympia actually mirrors the delivery of the Moonstone. Not as detailed but very close. Overall delivery is smooth, a bit on the lean side but very musical. It offered a surprising level of detailed delivery through the Goldnote Pamphili and the Paradox Phono 70 Signature (more so with the latter). The highs were very well extended with good detail. Cymbal attack and decay were quite well presented if not a bit soft. The bottom end was extended and punchy without being bloated and the midrange was smooth, and controlled without being "in your face." This was far better than $199 will often get you.

The soundstage was bigger and more robust than I expected at this price point. It was very life like, three dimensional, and deep. The Olympia tracked very well through the two test albums I ran it on. Smooth and easy.

On Eva Cassidy's Songbird (S&P Records 501), I found myself drawn more to the acoustic guitar playing by Eva than usual. It seemed a tad bit more up front with the Olympia. Not in a negative or distracting way at all, but a bit more pronounced. Eva's vocal impact was very solid. Not as detailed and alive as with some of the more expensive stuff I own bet represented in a very pleasant and definitely listenable way.

When it came to Joe Satriani's Flying in a Blue Dream (Relativity Records 88561-1015-1) the presentation overall was balanced, had sufficient slam and good shimmer in the higher registers with any real harshness. The guitars soared and the drums pounded appropriately without sounding muffled or fuzzy.

The real difference between the Olympia and the Moonstone is in the degree of finite detail and range extension. Not huge differences, but enough to take notice. Of course the difference in performance between the Olympia and some of my more costly moving coils is definitely larger, but it is not fair to compare a $199 moving magnet cartridge to a stone bodied $10k moving coil cartridge. That always irritates me when reviews compare, say a $350,000 Ferrari to a $100,000 Corvette and talk about how better a car the Ferrari is in every sense. Well for triple the cost plus, it damned well better be.

As an entry level moving magnet cartridge the Olympia represents a rather stout value and for someone coming into vinyl for the first time or someone on a tight budget this cartridge is absolutely perfect and still offers an upgrade path as the ear progresses and you want more from your vinyl. It also would make a more than acceptable back up cartridge for a mid level audiophile allowing you to have a backup without breaking the bank.

If that sounds good to you well then get to a Sumiko dealer and get you some!

Specifications