Sumiko Blue Point No. 3 | Moving Coil Phono Cartridge

Enrich your Listening Experience with Sumiko's Refined Blue Point No. 3 Moving Coil Phono Cartridge

• Principle: Moving Coil
• Purified sequel to Blue Point No. 2 in celebration of 40 years of cartridge development
• Refined smoothness, buttery low-end response, defined & textured bass, sweet & airy highs
• Each cartridge handcrafted in Yokohama, Japan

Next-Gen Moving Coil Phono Pickup

The Blue Point No. 2 cartridge proved to be so practical and pleasing to a wide variety of listeners that Sumiko took the "if it ain't broken, don't fix it" approach. But as Sumiko has pushed forward in recent years with exploration of resonance optimization, it was a matter of time before the classic No. 2 was re-evaluated. It landed among the world’s first high-output MC cartridges and has become something of a staple among listeners across decades looking for a taste of moving coil sonics without the added expense of MC pre-amplification. While it will remain dear to the Sumiko family within their heritage lineup, they've got another ‘Point’ to make...

Along with the release of their Reference Celebration 40, Sumiko brings you Blue Point No. 3, another nod to their 40 years of cartridge development in the pursuit to enrich your listening experience. Resonance is significantly more impactful than many listeners realize, and Sumiko sought to reimagine how the housing resonates around the generator. They feel they've struck gold.

The sonic presentation of Blue Point No. 3 harkens back to vintage Shure & Stanton MMs remembered for their smoothness. With Sumiko's tried & true MC generator system, that smoothness is enhanced with the subtlety & nuance you’d expect from a Sumiko MC. First and foremost, Blue Point No. 3 assembles its sonic picture from the ground up with its oh-so buttery low-end response. Bass enthusiasts are in for a treat here. Full & warm yet defined & textured, the coziness of the bass will invite you right in. And you can expect the similar lushness through the mids that remain decipherable, high-frequency attack & decay that’s simply sweet & airy.

Having developed such a refinement on a classic design, introducing a low-output variant was a no-brainer. As strongly as Sumiko stands behind Blue Point No. 3 High, Blue Point No. 3 Low is a game changer. Owners of MC phono stages can experience the same listenability mentioned above, but with the depth & imaging typical of a low-output design, and then some. As with its predecessors, Blue Point No. 3 remains a high-value performer that’s easy on your pocket book, and with the introduction of Blue Point No. 3 Low, there’s a Blue Point for everyone!

Trade In or Trade Up

User-replaceable styli are not an option for moving coil phono cartridges. But any Sumiko MC, functional or otherwise, can be returned to your dealer in a re-tip exchange — a discount on a new cartridge of equal or greater value — sparing you expense when your stylus heads south! Here’s how it works: the cartridge you own is worth 30% its retail value in trade. As an example, if you have a cartridge with a retail value of $1000, it’s worth $300 in trade toward your new cartridge. Your trade-in can be done through Bloom Audio as an authorized dealer. Note: Sumiko's trade-in program is valid within the United States only.

Hand-Crafted in Japan

From Oyster to Reference, each Sumiko phono cartridge is crafted by hand in Yokohama, Japan — near the waters where their namesake Oysters dwell. The finest materials have been ear-selected to deliver performance that has enlightened generations of listeners. Each design is thoroughly auditioned until perfected. Production is then executed by world-class cartridge makers with a collective eye for precision & quality. The result is a full horizon of cartridges eager to introduce themselves to your analog system — we firmly believe there’s a perfect cartridge for you here.

Specifications

• Design Principle: Moving Coil
• Weight: 6g
• Dimensions: 17.4mm x 17.2mm x 23.9mm
• Stylus: 0.3 x 0.7mil Elliptical
• Cantilever: Aluminum Pipe
• Coils: High-Purity Copper
• Internal Impedance: 135Ω
• Load Impedance: > 47kΩ
• Frequency Response: 13Hz – 35kHz
• Output: 2.5mV @ 1kHz (High) | 0.5mV @ 1kHz (Low)
• Channel Separation: 30dB @ 1kHz
• Channel Balance: < 1dB @ 1kHz
• Compliance: 12×10-6cm/dyn @ 100Hz
• Capacitance: 100pF – 200pF
• Vertical Tracking Angle: 20°
• Tracking Force Range: 1.8g – 2.2g
• Recommended Tracking Force: 2.0g
• Replacement Stylus Unit: Re-Tip Exchange (See Dealer)
• Sumiko Cartridge 1 Year Warranty