BIN 323 PHONO CARTRIDGE - HIGH OUTPUT MOVING COIL CARTRIDGE 1.7 mV
- Does nothing at all but play music magnificently
"A couple of months ago I purchased a BIN 323 Phono Cartridge for LP Gear to add some variety to my line up of Phono Cartridges. I have some good cartridges from Audio Technica and Hana, mostly Moving Coil cartridges. I wanted something different from what I had to listen to, so I read up on the LP Gear BIN 323 High Output Coil cartridge. I first installed it on my Technics SL1200GR direct drive deck for a spin. At first, I found nothing special other than it seemed to have more output falling somewhere between a good Moving Magnet and Moving Coil cartridge. Early on, it sounded to be a bit "Knarly" sounding with the high frequencies, with too much of a sharp edge. After about 5 to 6 weeks of frequent use, it smoothed out quite bit and sounded more natural and pleasing.
The cymbals and other high frequencies now sound natural, and are quite pleasing in fact. This preamp can serve both moving coil and moving magnet cartridges and to me, sounds equally well with either. I'm glad I have a BIN 323 as it can serve the needs of most magnet and coil output phono cartridges.
Give one a try as you may like the Audio as I did. The BIN 323 sounds better than I ever expected. Not far off the audio from my Hana SL Cartridge"
- Customer Feedback
The BIN 323 is a product of serendipity and universal auspiciousness. For decades we had aspired for a Moving Coil cartridge that is unpretentiously musical - just like the Small and Large Advent Speakers2 in the Seventies that became standards of high excellence despite their very modest price. On my meager part-time job, I was able to set aside and afford them as a student at DePaul University in Chicago. The BIN 323 was conceived and designed during the pinnacle age of phono cartridges and is thus founded on the exuberance, best practices and exclusive knowledge of that golden and fertile time. Revived with additional learning, select newer parts, tight tolerances and old world craftsmanship, the BIN 323 like vintage years of superior wine has improved with age to become the best in doing what it does - nothing at all but sweet authentic music extracted from the grooves!
Serendipity and auspiciousness are courtesy of Sugano San. He introduced me to Masao Okada-San, the cartridge grand master of Excel Sound fame, the well-spring of many highly regarded cartridges. With the BIN cartridges, Okada-San had full control of product development. We wanted the BIN to be his best signature work at an affordable, world-class High-Output MC cartridge. We wanted a MC product that MM users could eaily, and without encumbrance transition to and enjoy MC sound quality. Its sound quality thus bears Okada-San's DNA as can be heard in his later works with their HANA cartridges.
LP GEAR BIN 323 Musically
The BIN 323 plays glowingly with flowing musical ease and rightness that takes your breath away - it's like the mind knows when music is real.2 The BIN 323 offers harmonic and spectral richness, flowing musicality - harmonic notes, transients and counterpoints flow cascading and colliding cohesively from start to fading end. Your ears will hear the delightful delicacy, natural sound quality and missing timbre extracted from the grooves.
LP GEAR BIN 323 Specifications
• Tonearm mount: 1/2 inch
• Type: Moving coil (MC), high output
• Output voltage at 1kHz, 3.54 cm/sec: 1.7 mV
• Frequency response: 15 - 40,000 Hz
• Load impedance: 47 kΩ
• Channel separation at 1 kHz: 25 dB
• Output balance at 1 kHz: <1.0 dB
• Tracking force range: 2.0 - 2.3 g (2.0 g recommended)
• Coil inductance at 1kHz: 630 μH
• Static compliance: 15 x 10-6 cm/dyne
• Dynamic compliance: 10 x 10-6 cm/dyne
• Stylus: Nude Special Line Contact
• Stylus shape: 5 x 20 µm
• Cantilever: Special aluminum alloy
• Vertical tracking angle: 23°
• Dimensions: 17(H) × 17(W) × 24.7(D) mm
• Weight: 4.0 g (5.6 g with brass mounting hardware and shim)
• Accessories included: Stylus protector (x 1), Brass screws (x 2), Brass nuts (x 2), Alignment Protractor, LP Gear 1.2 g Shim
Note: Specifications are subject to change without notice.
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1 Paul Szabady, "LP Gear BIN 323 MC Phono Cartridge May, 2018.
2 J. Gordon Holt, "The Advent Loudspeaker," Stereophile, Jan 1, 1971.
2 Music listening equipment: Graham Slee Reflex M phono preamp, Graham Slee Elevator EXP headamp, Denon AU-300LC Step-up transformer, Graham Slee Proprius mono amps, Electronic Visionary Systems Ultimate Attenuators Passive Preamp, Odyssey Kismet Reference Amp, Quicksilver Silver 88 mono amps, Roadrunner Digital Turntable Tachometer, Sota Sapphire turntable, Supex SD 901 Super cartridge, Denon DL-103 cartridge, Denon DL-110 cartridge, Grace F-9E cartridge, Audience SE Phono Cable, Audience Ohno speaker cables, Rogers LS3/5A speakers, Audience ClairAudient 1+1 Loudspeakers, Krell LAT 2 speakers, Yamaha NS1000M speakers.
