When it comes to luxury turntables, the cartridge, that tiny, precision instrument that holds the stylus and reads the grooves of your favourite records, is the real crown jewel. And now, to celebrate 45 years of pushing analogue boundaries, Clearaudio has unveiled its Diamond Jubilee MC: a flagship moving-coil cartridge priced at €25,000 and limited to just 45 units worldwide.
Clearly, this is no ordinary audio upgrade.
The Diamond Jubilee MC is presented in a glass pyramid case; Clearaudio’s engineers took inspiration from their celebrated Goldfinger Statement turntable cartridge, but raised the stakes with a completely reimagined body crafted from zirconium oxide, a material known for extreme hardness, stability, and resistance to vibration.
Tolerances during the manufacturing process are measured at a microscopic 0.001 mm, a level of precision usually reserved for aerospace engineering, or perhaps high-end watchmaking.
Clearaudio’s engineers took inspiration from their celebrated Goldfinger Statement turntable cartridge, but raised the stakes…
At the heart of the Diamond Jubilee MC sits a Micro-HD diamond stylus, cut to an exacting shape that allows it to trace every nuance hidden deep within a record’s grooves. Clearaudio pairs this with an ultra-thin 24-carat gold wire coil, enhancing signal purity while delivering the kind of lifelike detail and sparkling treble that can surely only come from materials this premium.
The cantilever, the delicate arm that holds the stylus in place, is crafted from boron, a material prized for its combination of rigidity and light weight, further improving the cartridge’s tracking precision. Meanwhile, a custom-optimised magnet array using powerful neodymium magnets ensures exceptional channel separation, helping create a stereo image with both surgical accuracy and scale.
Clearaudio has also incorporated high-frequency shielding, protection from unwanted interference. The result is said to be a sound that’s as immaculate as a flawless diamond, with crystal-clear highs, rich textured mids, and bass that’s deep yet tightly controlled.
The Zirconium factor
Why zirconium oxide? Clearaudio could have gone with aluminum or titanium, but it wanted a material that could handle both the physics and the finesse of world-class analogue playback. Zirconium oxide isn’t just ultra-hard and stable, it’s also resistant to heat, chemical corrosion, and mechanical wear. That makes it perfect for a component that’s expected to perform flawlessly for years.
The Diamond Jubilee MC obviously isn’t aimed at the casual record spinner. This is a cartridge for those who believe their vinyl collection deserves the absolute best. Paired with a luxury turntable, the Diamond Jubilee MC is certain to unlock the kind of playback that reminds you why vinyl will always have a place in high-end audio.
With only 45 units produced, the Diamond Jubilee MC is available now through specialist high-end audio retailers, priced at €25,000 ($29,000/£22,000).
UK Hi-Fi specialist Ruark has announced a limited-edition version of its flagship R810 radiogram, using marquetry and premium veneers, as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations. The R810 occupies a particular niche in today’s audio landscape. Styled as a modern radiogram, it combines mid-century furniture design with contemporary streaming, high-resolution audio support and a wide…
Combining ravishing industrial design with advanced tube technology and vibration control, Swiss audio specialist Nagra’s newest preamplifier is aimed squarely at posh audiophiles for whom price is secondary to performance. Designed and built in Romanel-sur-Lausanne, the Preamp II-S is the first component in Nagra’s Series II range, positioned between the company’s Compact and HD lines.…
New Sony turntables are something of a rarity, so it’s with some excitement that we greet two new decks from the brand, the PS-LX3BT and PS-LX5BT. Combining fully automatic operation with Bluetooth connectivity, they’re aimed at both newcomers to vinyl, and record collectors looking to upgrade their analogue game. In addition to one-button, fully automatic…
The Luxe Review 
When it comes to luxury turntables, the cartridge, that tiny, precision instrument that holds the stylus and reads the grooves of your favourite records, is the real crown jewel. And now, to celebrate 45 years of pushing analogue boundaries, Clearaudio has unveiled its Diamond Jubilee MC: a flagship moving-coil cartridge priced at €25,000 and limited to just 45 units worldwide.
Clearly, this is no ordinary audio upgrade.
The Diamond Jubilee MC is presented in a glass pyramid case; Clearaudio’s engineers took inspiration from their celebrated Goldfinger Statement turntable cartridge, but raised the stakes with a completely reimagined body crafted from zirconium oxide, a material known for extreme hardness, stability, and resistance to vibration.
Tolerances during the manufacturing process are measured at a microscopic 0.001 mm, a level of precision usually reserved for aerospace engineering, or perhaps high-end watchmaking.
At the heart of the Diamond Jubilee MC sits a Micro-HD diamond stylus, cut to an exacting shape that allows it to trace every nuance hidden deep within a record’s grooves. Clearaudio pairs this with an ultra-thin 24-carat gold wire coil, enhancing signal purity while delivering the kind of lifelike detail and sparkling treble that can surely only come from materials this premium.
The cantilever, the delicate arm that holds the stylus in place, is crafted from boron, a material prized for its combination of rigidity and light weight, further improving the cartridge’s tracking precision. Meanwhile, a custom-optimised magnet array using powerful neodymium magnets ensures exceptional channel separation, helping create a stereo image with both surgical accuracy and scale.
Clearaudio has also incorporated high-frequency shielding, protection from unwanted interference. The result is said to be a sound that’s as immaculate as a flawless diamond, with crystal-clear highs, rich textured mids, and bass that’s deep yet tightly controlled.
The Zirconium factor
Why zirconium oxide? Clearaudio could have gone with aluminum or titanium, but it wanted a material that could handle both the physics and the finesse of world-class analogue playback. Zirconium oxide isn’t just ultra-hard and stable, it’s also resistant to heat, chemical corrosion, and mechanical wear. That makes it perfect for a component that’s expected to perform flawlessly for years.
The Diamond Jubilee MC obviously isn’t aimed at the casual record spinner. This is a cartridge for those who believe their vinyl collection deserves the absolute best. Paired with a luxury turntable, the Diamond Jubilee MC is certain to unlock the kind of playback that reminds you why vinyl will always have a place in high-end audio.
With only 45 units produced, the Diamond Jubilee MC is available now through specialist high-end audio retailers, priced at €25,000 ($29,000/£22,000).
Ruark revisits flagship radiogram with limited edition artisan Made in England R810 MiE
UK Hi-Fi specialist Ruark has announced a limited-edition version of its flagship R810 radiogram, using marquetry and premium veneers, as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations. The R810 occupies a particular niche in today’s audio landscape. Styled as a modern radiogram, it combines mid-century furniture design with contemporary streaming, high-resolution audio support and a wide…
Preamp II-S first look: Nagra brings reference-grade Swiss engineering to new luxury audio series
Combining ravishing industrial design with advanced tube technology and vibration control, Swiss audio specialist Nagra’s newest preamplifier is aimed squarely at posh audiophiles for whom price is secondary to performance. Designed and built in Romanel-sur-Lausanne, the Preamp II-S is the first component in Nagra’s Series II range, positioned between the company’s Compact and HD lines.…
Sony returns to vinyl with two new fully automatic Bluetooth turntables – here’s how they differ
New Sony turntables are something of a rarity, so it’s with some excitement that we greet two new decks from the brand, the PS-LX3BT and PS-LX5BT. Combining fully automatic operation with Bluetooth connectivity, they’re aimed at both newcomers to vinyl, and record collectors looking to upgrade their analogue game. In addition to one-button, fully automatic…
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