Audio Note IO Gold MC Cartridge

The Io Gold is the top permanent magnet version of the Io, only bettered by the field coil powered 'Io Ltd'.

The name comes from the distinctive colour of the housing which is made from solid polished copper, whose vibrational characteristics suit the application incredibly well. The only downside of this material is that it makes for a pretty heavy cartridge, it weighs in at 20 grammes so some tonearms will require a heavier counterweight to use it.

 

The generator features Alnico magnets along with Permadure, and bar using a electromagnet are considered to be the best sounding magnetic source.

 

​Like all Io cartridges the coils are wound from a tiny number of turns of very fine pure silver resulting in a very low output voltage. These coils are mounted on a long and extra thick walled slightly tapered (both internally and externally) titanium cantilever which results in a very lightweight yes stiff way to transmit the movement from the diamond to the coils. The ultra fine stylus is cut and polished to a perfect natural octagon to a level only normally found on the best surgical instruments used for eye surgery, and is mechanically crimped and then bonded to the cantilever. This attention to detail brings superb tracking and high frquency resolution with the additional benefits of a very long life expectancy (circa 2,000 hours depending upon the cleanliness of the records) and low record wear.