Tadman

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 4.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00 from local dealer

Summary:
Hi Well, this cartridge is a real price stunner! I owned an Ortofon Rohmann before this cartridge this was selected for reviews. However, the Rohmann broke down two times due to some problems with their silver wiring. Last time I sent it for repair Ortofon never refund the cartridge. Therefore, I went for the cheap Benz Gold low output and I must say that I played around this cartridge for a long time. I like it a lot more than the Rohmann to be honest. Claims against this cartridge on this site may have something to do with model. Please select the model with lowest output! I tried the Benz H2O also and it was slow and dull. Finally, I gave it to a good friend of mine who played around the Denon DL 103 for years. He said that this Benz was a lot better than the DL 103. I certainly agree!!!!!

Strengths:
Smooth, a bit coloured, overall good tonality. Realistic soundstage and no harsness.

Weaknesses:
none at this price

Similar Products Used:
Audio Note Soara, Audio Note IOj, Kisiki blue gold spot, Decca gold reference jubilee, various Ortofon, Audio technica, Denon

glrickaby

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
4.50 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $125.00 from Audiogon

Summary:
I'm at a loss on where to begin with this cartridge. It conveys the sense of vinyl better than anything I've ever heard before. While my ears no longer have the frequency range of a young listener, the original quality of the recording, with no boosted treble brightness or attenuated bass, really comes through. The rattle of the strings or hiss of the snare,has a focus that is new and rather startling to one who has heard pretty much what the low and middle cartridge line industry has produced. I admit to being a moving magnet rather than moving coil enthusiast. My past experience with moving coil is with terrific highs but rather weak on bass. This cartridge belies that bias with a full range from low to high, without the coloration in the high range which is in many MM units. For an elliptical stylus unit, the detail seems remarkable. In my favorite classical recordings, whether string quartets or symphonies, the Benz Gold gives all the sense of the original performance that is there, including the ambiance of the hall or setting. Conversly, a bad recording from the early days of stereo, is never really bad, simply real or what it is. I'm in the process of selling my other units, except the Goldrings, and hope to sqeeze further life out of the Benz Gold before the trade in time comes!

Strengths:
Smoothness, presence of the performance, good highs and lows, excellent detail. A pleasant listening experience. The only other cartridge on which the actual timbre of the strings was actually felt or heard, was an old Empire 2000T with an OEM stylus, but then again, Empire and Benz became one sometime ago!

Weaknesses:
None noted. Any record noise seemed no worse or better than other cartridges in the same general price range. The Denon DP47F Turntable I use is a hard taskmaster for cartridges which may bias this review against some good cartridges that would sound better on another Turntable.

Similar Products Used:
Shure V-15 V & III, Goldring 1012 and 1042, Empire 750 LTD & 2000T, Sumiko Blue Point,Adcom HPE/EII HO Moving Coil, Grado Red and Blue, AT 125LC and AT120E.

Price Paid:  $255.00 from Oporto

Summary:
There is something puzzling about some of the reviews that can be found in this website, and that is the great amount of summarily dismissive reviews. I can understand the anger of someone who had a broken cantilever and was refused free servicing, as one of the reviewers below, but most others are merely destructive. Quite why they do so I don't know, but I suspect some people just have nothing more interesting to say... But that is not the point. The Benz Micro MC Gold was the cartridge I chose to supersede my "dead" Ortofon MC 15 Super II. I didn't install it myself; rather, I trusted my friendly dealer to do it. (Maybe some of the reviewers here should have done the same!) After a proper burn-in, it came out as a wonderfully refined cartridge that took my music several steps closer to realism. The MC Gold built on the strengths of dynamics and detail of the Ortofon and brought more refinement and better - much better, actually - imaging to my system. It is not perfect: it is rather unforgiving of poor records, but it's just doing its job, I guess. But what it does right is does very well: instrumental separation is first class, as is the soundstage depth and width. Dynamics are uncontrived and detail is even more lucid than with the Ortofon, which nonetheless is a great performer in this respect. Voices and solo instruments are very natural, being clearly brought to the fore in a forceful way, and there's a "hear-through" feeling that is delightful to listen to. Also, this is a very fast cartridge, with a bass that is simultaneously fast and powerful, though ultimately not very extended. Treble is also tasteful to listen to and, even though the Ortofon's treble was more "powerful", I find the Benz Micro to be a shade more refined in the upper registers.

Strengths:
The MC Gold is an excellent all rounder, with a very "right" sound and especially first-class imaging and bass. Oh!, and don't you just love the spirit level and the demagnetized screwdriver?

Weaknesses:
Does no favour to poor or old recordings; a bit pricey

Similar Products Used:
Ortofon MC 15 Super II

Price Paid:  $210.00 from HK

Summary:
"BenzMicro MC Gold", it has very good audio performance, although it cannot compare with their higher model "Ruby & down to ACE", but it own with itself average audio performance style in (comfortable sweet NOT colored, natural vocal, mirco-dynamic signal are very detail & clear, bass is comfortable & surrounding NOT much punch), so it is not a colored dynamic phono cartridge, it is designed for natural sound. And surrounding all same price products, it is the best of the best choice, if you like a sound with closely to natural. I had used Grado Reference Sonata, it is very best, but it cannot produce a sound very closely natural, it is very detail plus little bright in high frequency & vocal, and it prices is approx.US$700~800.

Strengths:
Suitable sweet, natural vocal, comfortable bass, micro-dynamic is crystal detail NOT bright when compare with same prices products in Hi-Fi market. Tracking control very good.

Weaknesses:
setup need more time. Smooth little bit should be very closely to the higher model ACE.

Similar Products Used:
DENON DL103, Grado, BenzMiro ACE, ZYX, ClearAudio, AudioTechnica Memory version.

Price Paid:  $160.00 from retail outlet

Summary:
This cartridge tracked very well and very quietly. This cartridge is about refinement not excitement. Vocal and instruments sounds natural. Bass and treble is decent for the price if properly set up. Main complaint is the lack of dynamics so volume may have to be cranked up. Adjustment is very critical for this cartridge. Pay attention to the VTA as the cartridge appear to be shallower than some. On the whole better cartridge can be bought for that amount of money.

Strengths:
Natural vocal and instruments. Tracked very well. Quiet.

Weaknesses:
not dynamic.

Similar Products Used:
Shure, Octofon, etc.