Sumiko Phono Cartridges is pleased to premiere Wellfleet, the newest addition to the Rainier collection. The brand has applied and upgraded its award-winning design of the Moonstone cartridge, retuning the suspension for optimal performance of a nude elliptical diamond with the existing generator and resonance-optimized housing found in the rest of the Rainier series.
Wellfleet utilizes a highly polished nude elliptical stylus, eliminating the bonding between the stylus tip and shank. With the new assembly, excessive mass in the shank is cut away to further reduce tip mass, resulting in a faster, more direct, and more accurate response of the stylus' movement by the cantilever and magnet. Sonically, this increases speed and focuses central images, pulling them towards the listener with a heightened sense for detail.
With the Wellfleet, vocals are immediate, clear, and detailed, the warmth of human vocal work becomes more apparent with hints of rasp and emphasized subtleties, boosted by tight and well controlled bass. Backing vocals become easier to discern, and the listener is able to identify distinct instrumentation such as the rattle of snare wires, or the woody twang of a vintage acoustic guitar. Listeners will hear an improvement in surface noise and sense a more distant backdrop, facilitating a deeply suspended image.
Flexibility remains paramount in the brand's offerings. 5 stylus variations capable of utilizing this generator are currently available. Rainier owners can upgrade to Olympia, Moonstone and now Wellfleet with a simple stylus swap (and let's not forget RS 78!).
Our Latest Oysters
Designed for discerning, value-minded audiophiles, Rainier, Olympia, Moonstone & Wellfleet supplement & complement our existing range of Oysters. They build upon, enhance & refine the sonic character that listeners worldwide have enjoyed for decades. New innovation in cartridge design addresses the problem of resonance — the things that need to happen around a generator to voice a cartridge with honesty. The housing thus disperses & dissipates resonance, making way for effortless, transparent sonics that are enlivened with intimate nuance. The voicing is true to natural harmonics, space around voices & instruments as well as their attack & decay. Unique to these 4 Oysters (not to mention Amethyst), experience a diminutive backdrop that bolsters sonic images with a degree of aptitude reminiscent of moving coil designs.
Upgrade Path
Rainier, Olympia, Moonstone & Wellfleet replacement styles are interchangeable. We encourage you to follow the upgrade path to experience the best of what this design has to offer!
Hand-Crafted in Japan
From Oyster to Reference, each Sumiko phono cartridge is crafted by hand in Yokohama, Japan — near the waters where our namesake Oysters dwell. We've selected by ear the finest materials that combine to deliver performance that has enlightened generations of listeners. Each design is thoroughly auditioned until perfected. Production is then executed by world-class cartridge makers with a collective eye for precision & quality. The result is a full horizon of cartridges eager to introduce themselves to your analog system — we firmly believe there's a perfect cartridge for you here.
