For me this was a VERY expensive cartridge. Happily they were(and maybe still are) accepting your old cartridge as a credit for
several hundred dollars toward you new purchase.
This is a fussy cartridge to set up, and is very exposed and
fragile. It also has an extremely powerful magnet in it that
caused a few near mishaps that almost soiled my underwear. While
installing it on my steel workbench, the magnet in it made it
flip over and stick nose down on the bench, nearly crushing
the stylus. Another time while on the arm, it 'grabbed' a steel
straight edge that I was using to align its angle to the record
surface. Missed the needle by a few millimeters. Take the time
to adjust the overhang, vertical tracking angle (22 degrees),
sideways tilt (vertical within 1 degree), weight(2 gms),
skating, etc.
The effort is worth it (better to get a proffessional to install it).
I used to own a Grado Platinum Reference, but this cartridge has
a much cleaner sound, and the mid ranges and highs are considerable
easier on your ears. It tracks extremely well, if you have difficult
albums, 2.0 - 2.25 grams should do the trick. On a test record, it
tracks 80 um at 315 Hz without problems. At very high velocities the
music will start to sound dirty, but there is no catastrophic breakup
from mis-tracking. There is very little hum pickup, especially
compared to the Grado line of cartridges.
About a third of my albums I really hated listening because of
distortion. This cartridge makes just about all of those worth
listening to.
If I had to assign a character to the sound, I'd say that it is
a bit laid back, very smooth and doesn't bite! That character does
not overpower any music from your record, so you are getting much
closer to what's really in the grooves, without any ADDED artifacts.
It does not 'sanitize' the sound - if it's rough music, you'll get
just that.
If you own a lot of vinyl, and you'd really like to have those old
albums to compete with your CD's, this cartridge is a fine choice.

Neutral with the Benz Micro Switzerland signature

Lack the base and is not as fine as the Ortofons

This cartridge is good, although I did not realise I bought a retipped one after I got the chance to talk to the real dealer.

Mr. Cheuk claimed that he is the dealer of Benz Micro (which he is NOT). I found out from the dealer that the pickup I bought was not new, it was a retipped cartridge. I was completed cheated by Topclass Cheuk!!! I should have realised this when his store have so many used or so-called 'second handed" products.

Moreover, I found out that he is very impolite to new buyers like us. I heard that he reserves the best stuff for himself and his old buddy customers, while leaving the second graded cartridge and things like that to outside customers. He is also very "inched" to the other.

I will never shop from this Topclass audio in Hong Kong again. For the ones who are cheated or being looked down by him, I would like to say: Deal Hui LO Mo and Deal Hui LO Mo Hei!!! He is a complete cheater and lier. WE SHOULD ALL STOP FROM BUYING FROM THIS CRIMINAL.

Similar Products Used:

Denon 103 Pro, Dynavector XX-1L

I recently purchased the Glider to replace my Sumiko Blue Point Special, which was coming up for replacement. The Glider is a superb cartridge. It is an excellent tracker, with outstanding resolution and detail. I cannot imagine how the performance the Glider delivers could be significantly improved upon, without spending real megabucks.
I concur with the previous reviewer re. installation. This cartridge has an extremely powerful magnet, and its delicate innards are exposed. If you're going to spend this amount (significant for me) for a cartridge, the least you can expect -- and should demand -- is professional installation.

Very Musical and low groove noise.

Extensive Breakin period

Phono cartridges may in fact be the biggest purchasing gamble in the audio world. First the performance of your turntable and then your tonearm are more important to overall quality sound then the cartride itself. If the tt / tonearm are top quality, then also the interface between the cartridge and pre-amp will effect sound quality. Add additional variables such as VTA (very important) and record alignment, turntable setup and you have a considerable number of factors that will effect the sound quality that the cartridge will then produce and pass on to your speakers. In other words, the cartridge will pick up distortions from many different components, and will pass them on as characteristics of it's own.

That said, I have owned many TT's and Tonearms, pre-amps and phono cartridges. The glider (in my system) is a fantastic transducer. My previous (Shure V15mr) cartridge was quite nice, but when it broke(my fault) it was replaced by a Blue Point special, to which I could not live with. The search for a better cartridge led me finally to the Glider, which sounded hard prior to breakin but still was a revelation in sound quality.

After breakin (40 hours) the glider can be described as quite revealing and very dynamic, little to no groove noise and very musical. I love it and on good material it blows away my digital source (modified rega planet).

But remember, the description above is not only of the glider, but of the interface between related components. Synergy is a must in music reproduction, (high cost not necessary) and in my system the glider is a keeper.

Front End System=Source TT, Rega RB300, Glider, Black diamond cones, Classe DR6 pre-amp.

If your anolog system already sounds nice and you would like to upgrade past a BP special, shure, Audio Tech.. etc, try a glider (or better Benz models). Your anolog section will bring music to your ears.

Note: I purchased the 0.8mv model (low output) over the higher output model. In theory this model should sound better, but once again the interface to your pre-amp becomes a factor.

5 for value, 4 for performance because many superior cartridges exist, but all cost significantly more.

I've used this product for a couple of years now and never knew how much I liked it until recently. Certainly, it was a step up from the Goldring G1022 it replaced in my Rega Planar 3/RB300 setup. It was much more neutral and brought out more of the music.

Recently I upgraded turntables to a Sota Cosmos and Sota made some adjustments and added a new arm. I sent them the Glider to mount as well and put the Goldring back on the Rega until the Sota arrived. Some problems occurred and it took longer than planned to get the Sota so I spent a few months listening to my old setup. Where did the bass go and what's with all the surface noise???

The Glider, while 3 times as expensive, is easily 10 times better than the Goldring. The noise on my records is reduced many times over and the overall musicality toasts other cartridges at or even above this pricepoint. I've heard several and, in my opinion, you'd have to go up to the Benz reference at around $2500 to better this cartridge (although I haven't heard them all between those price points, I hasten to add).

This is an excellent transducer. Also, if an upgrade is in your future, you can get $1200 currently off a Ruby. The Glider costs less than the trade in value! Stop reading this and buy the thing!
2500

I'm the owner of the Benz Glider and the new RubyH. For its price the Glider is a real bargain. The mid and high sound silky smooth kinda like an ESL speaker. The major difference between the Glider and the RubyH would be in the bass area. The RubyH has more texture and body throughout the spectrum and the bass is more solid, more defined and with more slam. The midrange of the RubyH is also more musical than the Glider. I'm using both cartridges with the SME V + SOTA Star.
One last thing, both cartridges need to have a lowish VTA setting or they'll sound awfully bright and tense.

Transparency, low price for a MC

little brigth sound (a little)

I'm very happy with this MC. I can't understand why Stereophile recommended this as a "C" component when the Arum Beta is a "B". In my ears with the same system and turntables (Regas 3 and 25) the Glider much times better sounding than the Arum Beta. The air and transparency between instruments and voices is something than the Clearaudio match in any way.

Amps: Counterpoiint NPS-100
Brysoton 3B-ST
Pre: Adcom and Acurus
Turntables: Regas 3 and 25
Phono Pre: Lehmann Audio Black Cube
Cables: various AQ and Kimber.
Speakers: Totem M1 and B&W CDM1SE

Similar Products Used:

Cearaudio Arum Beta
Audiotechnica MM