Audio Note IO I MC Cartridge

The Audio Note Io range of cartridges are quite simply the best I’ve heard, most hi end cartridges have some foibles - an overly etched performance, or hyped detail retrieval for example but this is one design that, to my ear at least, has no obvious flaws. Musicality is an over used word, but it’s sums the Io up perfectly. Sonically it seems to have very little character, as any compromises that have been made are very benign in nature. Chameleonic would be a good word to describe it in fact. Tonally it is so natural that it quickly becomes apparent how bleached and pinched most other cartridges actually are. It’s also capable of revealing much greater subtlety than any other design we’ve come across yet it still retains the ability to startle with a very realistic dynamic range.

The Io1 is a conventional compliance design making it perfect for use on almost any tonearm (such as Rega, Linn, SME and so on) and unlike the larger models featured below isn’t very heavy at 11 gramme's, so will work well with standard counterweights.  

It features high power Alnico magnets, aluminium and wood construction and very fine pure silver wire on the coils. The cantilever is made from Titanium and the Diamond is a AN Type 2. Due to the very few winding used in the coils it has a low output (0.05mV) and likes to be used with a low impedance transformer for best results. It’s available with either Blue or Red side pieces, as shown above and below.

Technical Specifications:

Output Voltage: 0.04mV / 5cm / sec
Internal Impedance: 1 Ohm
Matching Imedance: 3-4 Ohms
Frequency Range: 10 - 50KHz +/-2dB (dynamic test)
Separation: Greater than 30dB at 1KHz
Compliance (typical): (horizontal) 5 - 10 µm/mN / (vertical) 5 - 10 µm/mN
Weight: 11g
Stylus Pressure: 2-3g (2.5g optimal)
Cantilever: Titanium
Stylus: AN Type 2 Diamond