An open-body, hand-built moving coil with enough output to plug straight into a regular MM phono input.
The Songbird is part of Sumiko's Reference Series, and each one is hand-built and hand-calibrated. It is a refinement of the long-running Blue Point Special EVO III, with ideas borrowed from the more expensive Starling. There is no outer housing. The generator is fixed to a thick CNC-machined aluminum mounting plate, which controls resonance and has a real effect on the sound. A 0.3 × 0.7 mil elliptical stylus sits on a coated 0.5 mm aluminum cantilever, with an Alnico magnet and pure copper coils. This high-output version makes 2.5 mV, so it runs into a standard 47 kΩ MM input with no step-up needed.
AnalogPlanet compared it directly with Sumiko's Moonstone moving magnet and heard clearly more detail, sharper transients, more dynamic punch and better-defined space. The midrange is generous, and it delivers the intensity of a moving coil without the edginess some MCs bring. Michael Fremer called it a well-voiced, high-performance choice, and a good value for anyone who wants to try a moving coil without buying a step-up transformer or a new phono stage. Its moderate compliance suits medium-mass tonearms. If you already have an MC phono stage with plenty of gain, the Songbird Low (0.5 mV) uses the same design.
| Type | High-output moving coil (MC), open body |
| Output | 2.5 mV |
| Internal impedance / inductance | 135 Ω / 0.63 mH |
| Recommended load | 47 kΩ (standard MM input), 100–200 pF |
| Tracking force | 1.8–2.2 g (2.0 g recommended) |
| Compliance | 12 × 10⁻⁶ cm/dyne at 100 Hz |
| Tracking ability | 70 µm at 315 Hz |
| Weight | 8.5 g |
| Stylus | Elliptical diamond, 0.3 × 0.7 mil |
| Cantilever | Coated aluminum, 0.5 mm |
| Frequency response | 12 Hz – 40 kHz |
| Channel separation / balance | 30 dB at 1 kHz / <0.5 dB |
| Also available | Songbird Low (0.5 mV) |
Pearl Audio is an authorized Sumiko dealer. Call or visit our Portland showroom to talk about matching a cartridge to your tonearm and phono stage.
