Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

I discussed the history of Sumiko's design and distribution business in our review of the Starling [HFN Mar '20]. Today Sumiko is a brand as comfortable with the micro-engineering of an Ogura Jewel Company P9 stylus and long-grain boron cantilever (see inset picture) as the macro-engineering of its S series active subwoofers. So bass enthusiasts may well recognise the Sumiko name, as it also has a history selling high-performance subwoofers for hi-fi and home theatre applications. Finding one available might be a tall order, however – a separate entity to Sumiko Phono Cartridges, Sumiko's subwoofers haven't been picked up for UK sale by distributor Henley Audio.

Once an agent of North American sub-bass specialist REL Acoustics, more recently Sumiko partnered with Italian marque Sonus faber to produce a four-strong range. This kicks off with the compact S.0 – an affordable 6.5in/120W Class AB design – before advancing in driver size and onboard power to the top-of-the-range S.10, which partners a 12in driver with 12in passive radiator, and claims 1kW peaks from its Class D amplifier module. Adopting the tagline 'musical subculture', Sumiko positions its subs as ideally suited for two-channel stereo systems – think definition, speed and nuance rather than the infrasonic depth and sheer slam of more home cinema-focused models. PM