Music for York House

van den Hul The Frog

12 lost · Anchored, Artisan, BBC Sound, Cavity-Native, Characterful, Intimate, PRaT, Reference, Twin Arms

Against the Anchored brief, the van den Hul The Frog keeps the slot decisively.

With the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

With the Technics S-shape magnesium tonearm (SL-1200G), the pairing gives up most on bass control.

On its own merits the Sumiko Amethyst MM is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

van den Hul The Crimson

6 lost · BBC Sound, Characterful, Intimate

Against the Characterful brief, the van den Hul The Crimson keeps the slot decisively.

With the Musical Fidelity M8x Vinyl, the pairing gives up most on low-level clarity.

With the Vertere Groove Runner X, the pairing gives up most on bass control.

On its own merits the Sumiko Amethyst MM is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

Hana EL MC

4 lost · Anchored, Characterful, Intimate, Romantic

Against the Anchored brief, the Hana EL MC keeps the slot decisively.

With the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

With the ProJect Tonearm 8.6 Carbon (Debut PRO), the pairing gives up most on bass control.

On its own merits the Sumiko Amethyst MM is the stronger cartridge — but it loses here on fit: the pairing with the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC gives up quietness at rest under the Anchored weighting.

Sumiko Blue Point No.3 Low MC

4 lost · Artisan, Cavity-Native, PRaT, Reference

Against the Artisan brief, the Sumiko Blue Point No.3 Low MC keeps the slot decisively.

With the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

With the ProJect Tonearm 8.6 Carbon (Debut PRO), the pairing gives up most on bass control.

On its own merits the Sumiko Amethyst MM is the stronger cartridge — but it loses here on fit: the pairing with the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC gives up quietness at rest under the Artisan weighting.

dynamicSumiko Blue Point No.3 / Amethyst owner+press consensus

Etsuro Urushi Gold MC

2 lost · Vocals-First

This cartridge’s output has no matching input on the phono stage in this system.

Etsuro Urushi Cobalt Blue MC

2 lost · Vocals-First

Against the Vocals-First brief, the Etsuro Urushi Cobalt Blue MC keeps the slot decisively.

With the Cyrus Classic PHONO, the pairing gives up most on midrange truth.

On its own merits the Sumiko Amethyst MM is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

It sits well below the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

super rich and spaciousStereophile (Reichert) 2026

Linn Kendo MC

1 lost · Twin Arms

Against the Twin Arms brief, the Linn Kendo MC keeps the slot decisively.

On its own merits the Sumiko Amethyst MM is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

It sits well below the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

Goldring Eroica HX MC

1 lost · Silent Path

Against the Silent Path brief, the Goldring Eroica HX MC keeps the slot decisively.

With the Michell Apollo + Muse PSU, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

On its own merits the Sumiko Amethyst MM is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

It sits well above the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

van den Hul MC One Special

1 lost · Romantic

Against the Romantic brief, the van den Hul MC One Special keeps the slot decisively.

With the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

With the Technics S-shape magnesium tonearm (SL-1200G), the pairing gives up most on bass control.

On its own merits the Sumiko Amethyst MM is the stronger cartridge — but it loses here on fit: the pairing with the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC gives up quietness at rest under the Romantic weighting.

Goldring Eroica LX MC

1 lost · Twin Arms

Against the Twin Arms brief, the Goldring Eroica LX MC keeps the slot decisively.

On its own merits the Sumiko Amethyst MM is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

Goldring 1042 MM

1 lost · Twin Arms

Against the Twin Arms brief, the Goldring 1042 MM keeps the slot decisively.

On its own merits the Sumiko Amethyst MM is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

Ortofon MC Quintet Black S

1 lost · Vocals-First

Against the Vocals-First brief, the Ortofon MC Quintet Black S keeps the slot decisively.

With the Cyrus Classic PHONO, the pairing gives up most on midrange truth.

On its own merits the Sumiko Amethyst MM is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

never sounds harsh or aggressive, yet beautifully detailedAudiophilia review (Sep 2025)

Rega Nd3 MM

1 lost · Silent Path

Against the Silent Path brief, the Rega Nd3 MM keeps the slot decisively.

With the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

On its own merits the Sumiko Amethyst MM is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

It sits well above the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

Linn Koil MC

1 lost · BBC Sound

Against the BBC Sound brief, the Linn Koil MC keeps the slot decisively.

With the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC, the pairing gives up most on low-level clarity.

With the ProJect Tonearm 8.6 Carbon (Debut PRO), the pairing gives up most on bass control.

On its own merits the Sumiko Amethyst MM is the stronger cartridge — but it loses here on fit: the pairing with the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC gives up low-level clarity under the BBC Sound weighting.

rounded bassPROXY: AT-OC9 platform