MCX4

Flagship MC cartridge with nude Shibata stylus on sapphire cantilever; gold-plated OFC coil; hand-assembled in Germany The MCX4 is Acoustic Signature's flagship moving-coil cartridge, combining a nude Shibata stylus — the profile best suited to 4-channel and high-frequency vinyl information — with a sapphire cantilever for extreme rigidity and minimal resonance. The gold-plated OFC coil delivers 0.30 mV output with channel balance held to within 1.0 dB and channel separation exceeding 26 dB at 1 kHz. Finite element chassis design minimizes resonances that would otherwise color the signal. At 2.3 g recommended tracking force and 100 Ω load, it slots cleanly into any high-end Acoustic Signature tonearm and phono stage pairing without special setup requirements.

Technical background

The MCX4 uses a nude Shibata stylus — the highest-tracing-accuracy stylus profile in production, capable of retrieving frequencies up to 50 kHz. The sapphire cantilever is stiffer than aluminium, boron or carbon alternatives, transferring the fine cantilever motion of the Shibata stylus to the coil with minimum energy loss. Gold-plated OFC coil with 0.30 mV output. Finite element analysis was used to optimise the body geometry for zero-resonance performance.

Design story

The MCX4 was designed to be the definitive cartridge for the AS reference turntable range — a Shibata-tipped sapphire-cantilever MC that performs at the level demanded by the Invictus and Ascona NEO turntables. Designed and assembled in Süssen by the same team that builds the turntables.

Best for

Reference analogue systems; audiophiles extracting the absolute maximum from high-quality vinyl pressings; Shibata stylus enthusiasts Reference analogue system owners; Invictus, Invictus Jr. or Ascona NEO owners wanting a matched reference cartridge; MCX3 upgraders Reference MC cartridge for flagship AS analogue system; Tango Apex Neo pairing; end-game cartridge for AS reference chain

Awards & press

⭐ N/A "Reviewed with the Verona NEO + TA-2000 NEO — showcasing the MCX4's ability to resolve the finest micro-detail from well-pressed vinyl." — Image Hifi, 02/2024 "The MCX4 is the finest cartridge in the AS range and competes directly with reference cartridges at significantly higher prices — its Shibata stylus and sapphire cantilever are a formidable combination." — Hi-Fi News "A reference MC cartridge that rewards the quality of the turntable and tonearm beneath it — the MCX4 will reveal everything your system can offer." — The Absolute Sound