STRIP it down, step it up … that’s the story of Linn’s newest and “best” moving coil cartridge, the Kandid, which sheds some weight but gains in performance.
The motor housing is exposed, and with nothing to enclose the cartridge, any potential source of resonance is banished. Then, there’s the “nude” diamond, micro-ridge stylus with a ceramic boron cantilever, further enhancing the exposed look.
Linn also minimalised the Kandid’s weight by using plastic for the front yoke screw (as opposed to the traditional metal route). This means the tonearm’s counterweight can be placed closer to the bearing point, while excluding any magnetic interference to the cartridge’s coils, which also feature an extra winding to push up output.
The low-output moving coil design is rated to deliver 0.4mV and tracks at around 1.75g. Minus the protective stylus cover, it weighs a paltry 5.7g. The ideal partner for the Kandid, of course, is Linn’s own Ekos SE tonearm … mounted on a Linn ‘table, naturally …
Watch the video interview with Linn’s product designer, David Williamson.
