Aidas

The ‘Aidas Way’

Aidas cartridges all share a common foundation, featuring the same boron cantilever, AlNiCo5 magnet and nude MicroLine stylus across all models. What sets them apart are the fine-tuning elements related to the cartridge body and coil wire. Their range is divided into four series based on the wire used in the coils. The CU series employs pure copper wire, offering a distinctive detailed and precise sound profile. Stepping up, the AG-CU series utilises silver-plated copper wire, introducing more nuanced sonic qualities. Moving to the AU-CU series, Aidas use gold-plated copper wire, providing a different tonal character. Finally, the AU Series uses wire made of pure gold, contributing to a more transparent yet relaxed and tone rich sound.

While gold wire might seem unconventional due to its higher resistance and mass compared to silver or copper, we’ve found that it adds a unique sonic signature. The gold wire’s slightly thicker nature is compensated by using fewer turns on the coil, resulting in a distinctive sound profile with a slightly lower output voltage. It’s important to note that the most visually striking differences among the models lie in the material used for the cartridge bodies. From layered wood to a stone-and-resin composite called Tru-Stone, and even ivory from ancient woolly mammoth tusks, the body material contributes to the aesthetic and influences the overall sound.

For many years, we have been advocates of Koetsu cartridges, especially the stone bodied cartridges manufactured after 2014. Koetsu were masters of fusing carefully selected and crafted stone bodies with magnet & coil engines to create sublime sounding cartridges with unprecedented emotional conviction. We feel that in some ways Aidas are carrying the torch forward for this approach to reproducing music in this way. Get it right and it makes magic.

The CU Series (Copper)

The Copper series, which is the entry point into the world of Aidas cartridges, features the same Mk2 Aidas generator custom-made by Namiki Japan that is also found in their cartridges further up the range. Despite where they sit in the Aidas range, the Copper series cartridges perform exceptionally well and could easily be the last cartridge a vinyl enthusiast would ever need. All three body types available – Panzerholz, Durawood, and Composite – produce a very similar sound, with only subtle differences between them. You can choose the body and colour that best suit your preferred aesthetic. Panzerholz is the hardest wood material on Earth and is even used in tank armour!

Listening impressions:
Upon initial listening, the Durawood Copper impresses with its quiet presence in the groove, showcasing minimal groove noise, a hallmark of well-aligned stylus placement. This characteristic contributes to a clean and precise playback experience. During playback of Art Davis’s album “A Time Remembered,” the Durawood displayed a reaching quality in the soprano sax, maintaining prominence while delivering a smooth and rich rendition. The bass, exemplified in Davis’s bowed solo, demonstrated depth and embodiment, reflecting the Durawood’s capability to reproduce low frequencies with richness. Right off the bat, the Aidas CU displays superb low-level definition and incredible overall detail retrieval, but it is not at all clinical. Acoustic instruments really sound as such, the wooden tonality of a piano really is life-like.

The AG-CU Series (Silver Plated Copper)

The Malachite Silver Cartridge is an Audiophile’s Delight. Designed for those who appreciate the ‘silver sound’, the Malachite Silver cartridge offers a detailed sound with more ‘air’ in the higher frequencies, making it an excellent choice for “darker” systems and music lovers who prefer a slightly faster, more nimble sound. The Malachite Silver cartridges feature a stunning, multi-colour green Tru-Stone body, lending them an exquisite appearance. Tru-Stone is a remarkable material composed of over 85% genuine stone. The manufacturing process involves pulverizing semi-precious stones into a powder, which is then combined with other natural pigments and resins. This unique composition not only enhances the visual appeal but also imparts exceptional damping properties. This cartridge has a certain sophistication – a perfect fusion of elegance, performance, and exceptional sound quality.

Listening impressions:
When transitioning from the Durawood Copper to the Malachite Silver, a similar overall tonal flavour is maintained, but there’s a noticeable step up in micro-dynamics and power. The Malachite Silver excels in extracting more dynamic power from recordings, evident in the playback of Earl Wild’s recording of the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.2. This enhanced dynamics and power feels more impactful, more alive.
It also handles challenging passages of music with greater ease. Compared to the Durawood, the Malachite Silver exhibits a bit more slam, contributing to a captivating listening experience.

While both cartridges share an overall tonal flavour, the Malachite Silver offers a bit more tonal richness, enhancing the sonic depth and complexity. The Durawood, with its copper coil, digs deeper into the lower frequencies, emphasizing the beauty of tone in various instruments. The Malachite Silver combines this tonal richness with a touch more slam, energy and excitement, allowing the tempo and propulsive nature of the music to come to the fore.

The AU-CU Series (Gold Plated Copper)

The AU-CU series incorporates gold-plated wire into the coil and offers three new body options: Tru-Stone Gold Web, Black African Gabon wood, and Brazilian Purpleheart wood. These rare materials were carefully selected after extensive testing, ensuring optimal sonic performance. The Tru-Stone Gold Web cartridges showcase a striking, multi-colour black body adorned with golden web lines. Tru-Stone consists of over 85% actual stone and is crafted through a unique process that pulverizes semi-precious stones into powder before combining them with other natural pigments and resins. This results in a beautiful aesthetic that feels luxurious while providing distinctive damping properties. The Baby model was developed specifically for ultra-light-sensitive, linear-tracking tonearms, such as air-bearing designs. Samarium Cobalt is used as magnetic material for baby models.

Listening impressions:
The AU-CU series delivers increased resolution and a more natural sound. It has a deeper, more characterful sound compared to the silver-plated series and offers a bit more tonal richness, warmth and complexity. The AU-CU series immerses you in the warmth, flow and life of music, reminiscent of the golden era of classic tube amps like Conrad Johnson and Audio Research. This cartridge doesn’t compromise on low-frequency detail or stage depth. It’s like having the best of both worlds.

The cartridge flaunts incredible image specificity, especially noticeable in Patricia Barber’s ‘Café Blue’. From Barber’s smoky vocals to climactic percussions in tracks like ‘Too Rich For My Blood’ and the demanding percussion solo in ‘Nardis’, the Purpleheart handles it all with brilliance. Transitioning to classic rock, it breathes life into Loggins & Messina’s ‘Pathway to Glory’ from the ‘Full Sail’ album. The strings vibrate, percussions resonate authentically and vocals carry a genuine breath. In live performances like Ahmad Jamal’s ‘Yellow Fellow’ at the Montreal Jazz Festival, the cartridge’s groove stability allows for vivid detail, even surprising listeners with its holographic qualities. Experienced audiophiles around the world are calling this range a world-beater and a bona fide bargain.

The AU Series (Gold)

The Gold Series represents the zenith of Aidas cartridges, with the Tru-Stone Violet Gold delivering an impressive 95% of the performance of the flagship Mammoth cartridge. The Tru-Stone body, composed of over 85% actual stone, is crafted through a unique process that pulverizes semi-precious stones into a powder before combining them with other natural pigments and resins. This results in a luxury aesthetic as well as remarkable damping properties. The Mammoth, their top-of-the-range cartridge, embodies the finest workmanship and innovation developed over the years. Its body is crafted from the ivory of 21,000-year-old Siberian woolly mammoth tusks, making it the most unique and superior material for Aidas’ premium cartridges. Mammoth ivory surpasses stone, exotic wood, and metals in its unparalleled sonic properties. This unusual material exhibits a perfect blend of dampening and energy, facilitating the most accurate and balanced sound available from Aidas. The Baby Mammoth, designed for ultra-light-sensitive, linear-tracking tonearms such as air-bearing systems, brings the performance of the Mammoth body to a lightweight version. Samarium Cobalt is used as magnetic material for baby models.

Listening impressions:
The theme here is and musicality and naturalness. The Mammoth Gold series has garnered exceptional praise from reviewers and users alike. One user stated, “If you are one of those people who love music and prefer to spend time experiencing it in the most refined, engaging, accurate way possible, the Aidas Mammoth Gold is, in my opinion, one of the absolutely best available choices.” In comparing the Mammoth Gold to other models like the Tru-stone Violet (Gala), a user shared, “After months of comparison, I would suggest the Gala is about 90% of the Mammoth overall. The Gala is a killer cartridge, very competitive with the best I’ve heard.” The Gala, using agate stone for the housing, has been praised for its natural and exciting reproduction with lower resonances.

The AU cartridges deliver a full, weighted sound while maintaining an open and spacious quality. They differentiate in terms of timbre and dynamics, especially in the lower frequencies, articulating the foundations of every note. One of the greatest joys of this hobby is experiencing a Mammoth Gold reproduce acoustic music, offering a fabulously full, rich, and natural, organic sound. The AU cartridges with their gold coil technology, provide a smooth, delicate and weighted treble, delivering high energy when needed. They excel in conveying acoustic cues, reverberation and decay in both live and studio recordings. The treble is described as rich, velvety smooth, and natural with an emphasis on sustain and decay. Considered one of the truly universal reference cartridge experiences, the AU series plays music with resolution, transparency and purity. It delivers breathtaking moments without any sign of brightness, sharpness or listener fatigue. Their accurate playback, delineating micro detail yet while communicating the musical message as a cohesive whole, is often described as refined, natural and suitable for extended listening sessions.

The Limited Editions

The Limited Edition Series is where Aidas take the opportunity to push the boundaries of design and material applications. These exceptional creations, produced in extremely limited quantities (1 to 5 pieces), showcase a fusion of rare materials and innovative engineering. In their quest for the perfect sound, Aidas experiment with various combinations of bodies and coils, crafting unique and exceptional products for discerning audiophiles. For example, their Limited Edition series has featured an African Black Ebony body paired with a silver coil, providing an unparalleled auditory experience.

Occasionally, they also release limited edition cartridges crafted from exotic materials and paired with gold coils. These exclusive offerings elevate the listening experience to new heights and are a true testament to Aidas Cartridges’ commitment to artisanal craftmanship and innovation. The Limited Edition series by Aidas is a rare opportunity for audiophiles to indulge in the art of sound with distinctive design and exceptional materials, capturing the essence of analog audio perfection. Secure a piece of audio history and join the elite few who possess these extraordinary cartridges.