Soundsmith Aida MKII Turntable Cartridge
SKU: 12764559484

Soundsmith Aida MKII Turntable Cartridge

Sale price$1647.00 Regular price$1830.00
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Description

Soundsmith Aida MKII Turntable CartridgeAIDA MKII A triumph of Soundsmith Engineering, Stereophile Class A rated, a rarity at its price point and for good reasons. The Aida MKII employs a laser drilled Sapphire cantilever with ultra low mass Contact Line stylus; we did this to resolve the challenges of playing the inner grooves with the same level of confidence as the outer. How did we do this? The unique stylus shape of our CL stylus has a sharper playing surface on the faceted diamond,

AIDA MKII

A triumph of Soundsmith Engineering, Stereophile Class “A” rated, a rarity at its price point – and for good reasons.

The Aida MKII employs a laser drilled Sapphire cantilever with ultra-low mass Contact Line stylus; we did this to resolve the challenges of playing the inner grooves with the same level of confidence as the outer. How did we do this? The unique stylus shape of our CL stylus has a “sharper” playing surface on the faceted diamond, allowing it to ride easily into the groove modulations of even the most difficult passages and high frequency information that other cartridges simply cannot trace. The result — a truly superb cartridge, surpassing top MC designs with air, focus and sound staging no cartridge at this price should be able to achieve.

The Aida cartridge is a Stereophile A-rated cartridge, meaning it is in the "price is no object" category and was the cheapest cartridge there.

Soundsmith carefully hand-builds every cartridge, tests them, and keeps accurate records by serial number of their performance. Those that meet or exceed specifications are sold, and the ones that don't are broken down and recycled. 

Soundsmith took moving iron technology and perfected it. This design offers lower effective moving mass, causing the stylus to stay in better contact with the groove walls. High-gain moving coil preamps are not required, as the Aida is designed to be used with a moving magnet preamp.

New EM Series DEMS Design

What is DEMS??

“Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover.” – Peter Ledermann.

2018’s RMAF show was the official launch of Soundsmith’s new ES series of cartridges, where the attendees experienced the latest exploration into overlooked areas of cartridge design and solutions from Soundsmith.

The ES line features not only a dramatic new look, but is a significant evolution of the DEMS system design (Dynamic Energy Management System). The new Soundsmith ES cartridge designs are a significant advancement in cartridge performance due to their ability to direct internal vibrational forces without reflection and disperse them properly to the tone arm. The absence of reflections enables the stylus to stay in far greater statistical contact with the groove walls — a critically important technical refinement. Increased liquidity and reduced “grain,” without loss of detail are some of the immediately discernible advantages of Soundsmith’s new ES models.

The new line also features Azimuth adjustment built-in to each cartridge, as well as the option for electrical isolation for hum-prone systems. (see picture below)

Every cartridge in Soundsmith’s lineup will now feature our sleek new ES body design. The upgrade is far more than cosmetic; the new shape is a departure from the reflective and “boxy” design of many cartridges whose internal construction contribute to uncontrolled vibrational issues adversely affecting performance. Peter says, “Think of how singing in an open field compares with singing in a shower.” Soundsmith has always challenged conventions, looking deeper into nuances of cartridge design that dramatically affect immediate and long term performance. These have included extreme reductions of moving mass and the use of novel materials and designs. The new ES lineup is a continuation of that research and development.

ES Series Mounting

The new ES has some special mounting features that you need to be aware of.

Sometimes when mounting on a grounded metal arm, a cartridge will create hum due to a ground loop. If you experience some low level hum due to ground loop, you can now solve this issue by using the two half-round white rods which are to be placed and used in the OUTER slots, seen on the top of the cartridge. Place them flat side UP.

The rods are made of Alumina, and are insulating, thus allowing ground isolation for your cartridge without compromising the crucial mechanical energy transfer into the tone arm. This energy transfer is maintained due to the use of Alumina, which has the same properties as aluminum, but is non-conductive. Due to the novel body design of the ES cartridge, electrical isolation can still be maintained even though you may use metal screws.

On tone arms that do not allow azimuth adjustment, it is now possible to achieve this adjustment by way of the ES series by using the one full round alumina rod in the center slot only, alternately tightening and loosening the mounting screws by small amounts.

Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
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Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
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SKU: 12764559484

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Matthew Anderson
Phoenix, US
★★★★★ 5
No problems after a year and a half
Color: Dogwood & Calming, Size: Medium
Have been regularly buying these for my corgi for about a year and a half. The 2 pack lasts about a month or 2 each time. Pieces break off in small enough pieces that they safely pass through his digestive system. He gnaws each one down to about 1/4 the original size before we take it away and give him a new one. He continues to have regular bowel movements and has a healthy appetite so I can’t imagine any problems arising after so long. I have tried other alternatives and every other similar chew breaks off in larger pieces and didn’t feel comfortable letting him chew/eat them. I noticed there are a few 1 star reviews saying their dogs got sick off these but after a year and a half I have had 0 issues with this product. I guess it depends on the dog and how big of pieces they are swallowing. My dog ingests pieces about the size of a grain of rice so just pay attention and you should be fine.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2026
T
Verified Purchase
terlynn4
Phoenix, US
★★★★★ 5
Long lasting and safer alternative to sticks
Color: Dogwood & Calming, Size: Medium
These are great, very durable, and have lasted a very long time. Much safer for my dogs than the random sticks they find in the yard. They do get shorter with chewing eventually, but they don't break off in little chunks like I've seen with some nylon chews, and they don't splinter like wood. Medium size works well for both my 16 lb Cavalier and my 60 lb Pyrenees/Golden mix. They're both moderate-to-aggressive chewers, though size obviously affects how much damage they can do. I wish you could buy the hemp chew separately because that one is very much a favorite in my house, so after 2 years and 2 purchases, I have barely any left of the remaining hemp chew, but still 2 of the dogwood chews that neither dog is as interested in anymore. I'd love to buy a couple more of just the hemp one.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2026
S
Verified Purchase
Shannon Brace
Phoenix, US
★★★★★ 5
Your dog will thank you.
Color: Dogwood & Fresh Breath, Size: Large
My dogs loves to chew on these. They make a small mess but not as bad as other chews. They are food for keeping teeth clean.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2026
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Verified Purchase
Anna
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
Nice chew toy
Color: Dogwood Mushroom, Size: Medium, Color: Dogwood Mushroom, Size: Medium
Super durable and puppy loves it. It was a bit hard for her at first but now at 5 months it’s one of her favorite things to gnaw on! It is heavy for the size but seems to be great quality and has given many hours of chew time with minimal wear.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2026
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Jennifer
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 4
Long lasting
Color: Dogwood & Calming, Size: Medium
My dogs love these bones.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2026

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