TOP WING SUZAKU RED SPARROW

Pre owned. Supplied with original packaging.

The Top Wing Suzaku cartridge, also known as the Red Sparrow, represents one of the most refined and innovative achievements in the world of high-end analog audio. Its name carries a special aura: “Suzaku” in Japanese means “red sparrow,” and it is no coincidence that its body reflects both elegance and character, immediately standing out also on an aesthetic level.

At the heart of this extraordinary phono cartridge lies the coreless straight-flux system, a revolutionary technology that eliminates the traditional magnetic core and positions the left and right coils in a V-shape directly above the magnet. This allows the stylus to capture variations in magnetic flux generated by the record grooves with absolute precision, translating them into sound directly and without distortion. This approach avoids the typical limitations of MC cartridges, such as irregular coil movement, as well as those of MM designs, often penalized by longer and less responsive magnetic paths. The Red Sparrow thus preserves the strengths of both technologies while eliminating their drawbacks.

One of the most remarkable aspects of this model is its serviceability: the stylus assembly – including tip, cantilever, magnets, and coils – is designed to be interchangeable, allowing replacement at one-tenth of the original cartridge price. A detail of great value in a product of this level, drastically reducing repair costs and significantly extending the cartridge’s lifespan.

Material research is another distinctive feature. While the first Top Wing model, the Blue Dragon, used ultra-rigid alloys to suppress resonance, with the Suzaku the philosophy is reversed: different materials are employed, each with specific vibration frequencies, dispersing resonances and making playback even more natural. Titanium, dry carbon, and high-performance engineering resins – belonging to the category of advanced super-plastics – replace ultra-duralumin, reducing the cartridge body weight to under 9 grams. This not only improves compatibility with a wider range of tonearms but also ensures a perfect balance between structural rigidity and vibration damping.

Listening with the Red Sparrow is an experience that transcends simple music reproduction: records long familiar reveal details never heard before, voices emerge with palpable realism, and the soundstage gains unprecedented depth and three-dimensionality. Despite its wealth of detail, the sound never becomes excessively analytical, always retaining naturalness, coherence, and musicality. Dynamics are wide, frequency extension is impressive, and its ability to retrieve micro-details and tonal nuances is truly unique.

The Top Wing Suzaku – Red Sparrow is not just a cartridge but a true instrument of musical revelation, capable of bringing vinyl playback to a level that many enthusiasts consider definitive. Its combination of advanced technology, innovative materials, and serviceability makes it a product designed to last and to deliver listening experiences as close as possible to analog perfection. For those who use it, every groove becomes a window onto music, reproduced with naturalness and precision that set it apart from any comparison.

Technical specifications:

• Power generation type: Coreless straight-flux
• Stylus: Line contact
• Cantilever material: Aluminum
• Output at 5 cm/s: 0.2 mV
• Internal impedance: 12.30 Ω at 1 kHz
• Inductance: not disclosed (insensitive to capacitive load)
• Recommended tracking force: 1.75 g – 2.0 g
• Weight: < 9 g