Soundsmith The Voice ES Moving Iron Cartridge Reviews

5 Rating 4 Reviews

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Philip Brosemer

Verified Reviewer

“For years I didn't believe I could do better then the Zephyr MIMC * - the I upgreaded to the Voice. I am currently re-recording my albums due to the clarity and presence the Voice seems to bring forward. I see no reason not to progress to the next level in the Soundsmith line. Well in a while...”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 months ago

“What can I say? There isn't a lot of information available on this cart. It's been around for a while, won awards, received accolades. The reviews, whether professional or on forums, or on internet storefronts, are all positive. My conspiracy theory take on the lack of information is that this cartridge doesn't need a lot of press. If all the high-end audio magazines reviewed it Peter Ledermann wouldn't be able to keep up with demand. So The Voice is only whispered about. This replaced my Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC Star ES. I still have the MIMC and love it. I plan to always have it. It's a wonderful cartridge, worth every penny I paid for it. It was so good I wondered how much better it could get upstream in the Soundsmith line. My friend, Dave, moved from the MIMC to the Paua ES. He says he's in heaven every time he listens. And while I totally believe him, $4000 ain't exactly chump change. At least not for me. So the question in my mind was: Well does the Paua sound $2000 better than the MIMC? My guess without asking him is that Dave would say it does. Anyway, I had an issue, if you want to call it an issue. My system is all tube. I use a Manley Chinook with an Ayon Scorpio II integrated, powering some very sensitive speakers. I enjoyed all my low-output moving coils, from ZYX to Audiotechnica to Lyra, and I enjoyed the MIMC more than those with this setup. But I started thinking I might like using the moving magnet settings on the Chinook with a high-output cartridge. Now $3000 for a high-output moving iron phono cartridge also isn't chump change. I wondered if it would be a sideways move, but after reading the reviews that I could find I was intrigued enough to go for it. So, did it sound $1000 better than the MIMC? F**k yeah it did. Immediately. Straight out of the box. Every restriction or constriction I ever thought my system was plagued with immediately went away. The sound opened up beyond the walls of my dedicated listening room (which I always wanted to achieve but was never quite there), and I immediately proclaimed that this was everything I ever wanted from my vinyl. Everything, side-to-side, top to bottom was just set free, and I knew I was really hearing what was on that beautiful plastic disc. Mind blown. I don't know if all The Voice ES carts break in at about 10 hours, but mine did. When it did I said, "Oh, I just don't deserve this." So, just to recap this longish review: Better than any cartridge I listened with before, hands down, no contest. Worth every penny, maybe more, I don't know, I've never spent more. Do I feel like I need a Paua or Hyperion? Nope. Not in the slightest. Would I like to listen to some vinyl with one of those? F**k yeah, I would. But The Voice has given me enough to know full well I don't need to. I think, when you sum up what you get when you listen with The Voice ES, it's one of the best cartridges in the world. Of course that's a bold statement, but I'm feeling bold, so just deal. I have absolutely no doubt that this really is actually the very best in the moving iron category. Soundsmith The Voice ES is a very, very fine cartridge. My search has ended. Now, back to my listening.”

3 Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Thomas Aronsohn

Unverified Reviewer

“I purchased The Voice after having had four moving-coil cartridges and it far out performs any of these. The high output is a perfect match for my all-tube stereo system. Every lp, from Gilbert & Sullivan to Joan Baez to The Beatles sound just wonderful. I want to give the highest compliment to Sean-Paul in the analog department for his expert advice and understanding in assisting me. All the best, Thomas Aronsohn”

3 Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Great service from Upscale and the Voice from Soundsmith is everything it it advertised to be”

3 Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago