Sumiko Blue Point No 3 High Output MC Cartridge

Sumiko Engineers and Designers have, in recent years explored resonance optimisation from every imaginable angle.  So of course, it was only a matter of time before the classic Blue Point No. 2 was re-evaluated.

Blue Point No. 2 has among the world’s first high-output MC cartridges and through the decades it's become something of a staple among listeners looking for a taste of moving coil sonics without the added expense of MC pre-amplification.

Sumiko's love affair with this cartridge will remain, its part of their heritage lineup, but they’ve got another ‘Point’ to make…

Along with the release of their Reference Celebration 40, Sumiko is proud to bring you Blue Point No. 3 – another nod to their 40 years of cartridge development in the pursuit to enrich your listening experience.

Engineers have taken a close look and listen to the resonance properties of Blue Point No. 2 and have recognised room for refinement. Resonance having a more significant impact than many listeners may realise, they sought to reimagine how the housing resonates around the generator… and, well, we 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 their tried & true MC generator system, that smoothness is enhanced with the subtlety and nuance you’d expect from a Sumiko MC.

First and foremost – and if ever the word were appropriate – 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 and textured, the cosiness of the bass will invite you right in.

It doesn’t stop there, you can expect the similar lushness through the mids that remain decipherable,  high-frequency attack and decay that’s simply sweet & airy.

Having developed such refinement on a classic design, introducing a low-output variant was a no-brainer.

As strongly as Sumiko stand behind Blue Point No. 3 High, Blue Point No. 3 Low is a game changer.

Owners of MC phonostages can experience the same listenability mentioned above, but with the depth and 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, and with the introduction of Blue Point No. 3 Low, there’s a Blue Point for everyone!

Each Sumiko phono cartridge is hand assembled by the world-class cartridge makers at Excel Sound in Yokohama, Japan, a relationship they’ve proudly maintained for nearly forty years, using only the finest materials that combine to deliver performance that has enlightened generations of listeners.

Each design is thoroughly auditioned until it meets Sumiko's  stringent standards for sound. Production is then executed by expert craftsmen with a collective eye for precision and quality.

The result is a family of premium cartridges that render emotion through tonally balanced, refined and fatigueless analog reproduction.