Jasmine Jasmine Audio "DRAGON" MC Cartridge B&W Ceramic Series

We chose blue-and-white porcelain for the cartridge body from the perspective of Chinese culture and sound. We tested the sound quality of more than 10 types of porcelain carefully selected from the many types of porcelain in China, and after comparison and examination, we finally chose blue-and-white porcelain, which has a density close to that of aluminum and has the best sound.

The "dragon," "bird," "tiger," and "turtle" represent "protection," "good fortune," "power," and "longevity," respectively. All cartridges are assembled by hand by experienced engineers.

The performance of a cartridge depends primarily on a combination of factors, including

1. handling of resonance generated during tracking

If the resonance generated by stylus tracking fails to achieve damping or cannot be absorbed, it will bounce back to the stylus via the cantilever and interfere with normal stylus movement, causing sound quality degradation. Therefore, we design each cartridge to be priced according to its performance and select the appropriate materials and design to achieve a vibration isolation effect commensurate with the cartridge's performance. Therefore, the more expensive the cartridge, the higher its performance in eliminating the effects of resonance caused by the materials of its body and structural components.

2. selection of suspension tension and damping stiffness

Different cantilever materials require different suspension tensions and damping gaskets, which must be adjusted for optimal dynamic response. They are also important indicators for determining the resonant frequency of the stylus. The ultimate goal, of course, is to get the stylus to the proper needle pressure so that the groove signal is picked up quickly and accurately and does not resonate in the audio frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 KHz.

3. cantilever length selection

Cantilever length also affects resonance frequency and response speed.

4. selection of number of coil turns and coil material

It is related to the internal resistance, inductance value, and output level of the cartridge.

5. selection of magnets and magnetic circuit design

Different types of magnets have different magnetic fluxes, and a high flux magnet can be used with a small number of coil turns. Conversely, a larger number of coil turns is required.

6. stylus tip structure selection

Different stylus tip structures have different contact surfaces with the grooves on the record disc, affecting the sound resolution. The better the tip structure, the more detailed the sound. The order is conical < elliptical < line contact < super line < micro ridge.

In other words, our cartridges are judged on the basis of price, performance, and functionality, and the above6They are selected and combined from the above three perspectives.

Solid boron cantilever and micro-ridge diamond stylus

The Dragon MC cartridge is the flagship model of the Jasmine B&W porcelain cartridge series. It features a solid boron cantilever and micro-ridge diamond stylus.

Efficient resonance suppression and responsive suspension structure

Resonance suppression and optimized cantilever suspension structure increase the sensitivity of the stylus, resulting in clear and detailed sound performance.

Blue-white porcelain body, oriental musicality

Blue-and-white porcelain is a feast for the eyes and ears, incorporating the characteristics of Chinese culture. It is the perfect audio-visual combination.

Jasmine's MC cartridge, the B&W Porcelain series, is the company's high-end series. I purchased the Byakko, which uses a sapphire cantilever and a Shivata stylus. There are four models in this series, the Blue Dragon, White Tiger, Suzaku, and Genbu, which are named after the four gods. The Blue Dragon has a Boron cantilever, the White Tiger has a sapphire cantilever, the Suzaku has an aluminum cantilever, and the Genbu has an aluminum pipe cantilever. The body is made of a settee with a bare vibrating system inside. As can be inferred from the shape, the Porcelain series was designed with a great deal of care and aggression, and the sound is very impressive. As is common with all Jasmine products, the sound far exceeds expectations for the price. *Mr. Nagai, Bakoon Products