Yoshio Matsudaira San of My Sonic Lab, the cartridge maker of the brand name which carries his initials (“M” & “Y”), is arguably one of the best phono cartridge makers in the world today. He is crowned with this title for very specific reasons and by all accounts, very few cartridge makers in the world carry his accomplishments. Before starting My Sonic Lab in 2003, Matsudaira San already has over 30 years of experience under his belt designing cartridges for Koetsu, Supex, Miyabi, Audiocraft, and Luxman. Today, he is still the cartridge maker behind brand names such as Air Tight, Haniwa, and many others. His footprints are all over the cartridge manufacturing world, though some brands do not outwardly carry his name.
Matsudaira San’s designs deliver a very high output level while keeping internal impedance very low. That is to say, for the same amount of voltage output, he can use much smaller coil windings compared with other cartridge brands – his designs are unique in this respect. Matsudaira San attributes this success to a high flux / high permeability core material which he calls SH-μX, a genuine breakthrough in cartridge design, which he invented. Small coil windings offer increased cantilever mobility, translating to wider dynamic range, better details, lower internal and phase distortions. This is aways what attracts me to Matsudaira San’s cartridges, from his very first Hyper Eminent released in 2003, the Eminent GL (almost identical to the AirTight Supreme PC-1), and the Hyper-Eminent BC which I have owned for over 10 years, and still own to this day. The BC is a benchmark which I use for many of my reviews and personal investigations.
Unlike many cartridge brands that merely purchase tech or manufacturing expertise, My Sonic Lab is a true cartridge manufacturer. Matsudaira San oversees the entire production process, from initial drawings to actual manufacturing – everything is done in-house by My Sonic Lab. This keeps My Sonic Lab cartridges consistent throughout the entire line of cartridges, offering a silky smooth and elegant sound throughout the entire frequency spectrum. While not as voluptuous and mid-range heavy as Koetsu or Kondo, they do not carry any sibilance or edginess found at the opposite extreme
However, My Sonic Lab cartridges, are never the last word in dynamic swing or contrast. While the Ultra-Eminent BC (the previous top of the line) can deliver remarkable details and lighting fast transient response on a violin, it lags behind when it comes to recordings requiring a bit of oomph such as grand orchestral symphonies or a piano track of a concert grand Steinway. For that, I usually go to the Clearaudio Goldfinger V2, Lyra Olympos, or even the older Lyra Titan i cartridge.
All that is forgotten, with the dawning of the My Sonic Lab’s newest top of the line cartridge – the $11,995 MSRP, Signature Platinum. The Signature Platinum builds upon the design of the Signature Gold, utilizing a slightly larger SH-μX coil than previous models. The Signature Platinum looks similar to the Ultra-Eminent BC, both come with a Rodium plated body and Boron cantilevers. The Black Ion hardened Titanum body further reduces resonances, which is a main contributor to the higher resolution offered..
True to all My Sonic Lab designs, the Signature Platinum remains highly efficient, delivering 0.5mV with an internal coil impedance of just 1.4 ohm. By comparison, the Clearaudio Goldfinger V2 delivers 0.6 mV, but its coil size is much larger with an impedance 50 ohms. The Lyra Atlas has a similar internal impedance (1.52 ohm), but the output is ½ that of the Signature Platinum, at 0.25mV. Looking across the entire analog landscape, you will find very few cartridges that can come close to the Signature Platinum’s efficiency.
Over the course of 9 months, The Signature Platinum did duty on four different tonearms (Supreme Analog Tangenta, DaVinci Virtu, Reed 3P, and the Glanz MH-124SX), and two different turntables (JV Verdier La Platine Vintage & Micro Seiki RX5000 with flywheel). The Micro Seiki proved the most enjoyable.
True to Matsudaira San’s promise, the Signature Platinum is the most dynamic sounding My Sonic Lab design ever, far exceeding the level of dynamic contrast exhibited by all previous models, and far exceeding my previous My Sonic Lab Reference (Hyper Eminent BC). I feel only a few other “top dog” cartridges, such as the Goldfinger V2, Lyra Olympos, or the ZYX Optimum are on this level or better..
This calls for the most explosive records available, titles that I usually will not play with previous My Sonic Lab Cartridges. Decca’s iconic Tchaikovsky Capriccio Italien (SXL 2001 ED1), with Alwyn directing the LSO is a perfect example – very few cartridges on the planet can deliver life-sized holographic projections of the orchestral instruments with a palpable presence and high dynamic contrast. The same can be said of Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 the “Organ Symphony” with Paul Paray conducting the DSO (Mercury SR90012 FR1/4), I’m guilty as charged by the classical buffs for often only playing the explosive organ segment, many feel the organ represents the is the most exhilarating segment of the symphony. The Signature Platinum’s ability to send relentlessly seismic waves from the floors and walls of my room all the way up to my spine is a true audiophile pleasure. The combination of the small coil windings and a perfect stylus profile allows this cartridge to take vinyl’s toughest challenges head on, like an expert taking a raft through the roughest of rapids.
Many dynamic sounding cartridges can produce chest-pounding excitement for the listener, but their Achilles heel is the off-balanced tonality that usually comes with the package. The Signature Platinum is the first ultra-dynamic sounding cartridge I’ve experienced that maintains a near-perfect neutral tonality, without sacrificing the silky smooth and sweet house sound of My Sonic Lab cartridge. Long chamber music sessions reinforce my initial findings.
I still feel the concert grand piano is the toughest analog information for a cartridge to navigate, as well as your hifi system to reproduce. The Signature Platinum again delivers vivid imagery and solid dynamics. I have other cartridges in my collection that can come close, but nothing else in my experience has produced this level of realism with the grand piano.
Of all the reviews I have ever written on cartridges, this is probably the most glowing ever. I speak with my heart and my wallet. Needless to say, I purchased the review sample less than a month after its arrival. At $ 11,995, the Signature Platinum is My Sonic Lab’s most expensive cartridge yet, but it is still far less than many of the top cartridges now available. I have been asked many times whether this would be my desert island cartridge. My other two top favorites are the Lyra Olympos (which for all practical purposes is unavailable) and the ZYX Optimum 1 is more expensive and more finicky.
Given the My Sonic Lab Signature Platinum’s adequate output, its lower MSRP relative to its peers, it’s lightning-fast transient response, its silky smooth and balanced tonality, it easily it is one of the most versatile top performance cartridge in the market. – Richard Mak
(photos courtesy of MoFi Distribution)
STRONG BUY!
https://www.musicdirect.com/phono-cartridges/My-Sonic-Lab-Signature-Platinum-MC-Cartridge
