HiFiction X-quisite Phono Cartridges

The X-quisite Cartridges range is making waves within the High-End audiophile community. With an outstanding level of technology employed to produce the cartridge selection on offer here, these inventions are, to say the least, unique. There are currently no other producers on the planet making use of this method to create MC cartridges.
This is a company with a creator like no other. Well-known within the audiophile network, Micha Huber is the brains behind X-quisite. In the High-End Audio World (in Indonesia and across the globe) Huber’s products are highly sought after.

ABOUT HiFiction X-quisite

Considering that the first of the X-quisite range was only patented in 2019. In just two short years (at the time of writing) HiFiction has certainly come a long way. The company itself is based in and operates from Turbenthal, Switzerland.

According to HiFiction: “We are active in the development and production for micromechanical products in the field of high-end-audio and medical technology”

In a similar vein to many High-End producers, HiFiction is a severely modest company. They are certainly doing a lot more than the quote mentioned above, and we’re sure this is just the beginning for them.

Considering that HiFiction has developed their very own exclusive technology to create cutting-edge cartridges, it goes without saying that the products, are themselves, a force to be reckoned with.

Patented Monobloc –Ceramic Transducer Technology

HiFiction is currently the only company on the planet making use of this particular type of technology:
To explain the technological process in more detail, the coil body and cantilever are comprised of a singular high-strength ceramic piece. Therefore, the music signal is transmitted solely from the diamond tip to the coil body. With no joint at the point of highest dynamic load, the sound produced from this ‘highly pure’ method is natural, and a level of supreme detail alongside minimal distortion is the celebrated result.
For the design, HiFiction has employed modern techniques, but with a truly ‘Swiss’ approach/attention to detail. Meaning that the team produces their very own small ceramic parts to a tight set of preferences.

The cantilever itself is partially hollow and contains an octagonal cross-section. In addition to this, the cantilever and coil unit body do well to provide for an extremely high level of rigidity.

Micha Huber, founder, and CEO of X-quisite acquired this knowledge regarding rigidity whilst developing EMT and OEM cartridges via the use of MC technology. He reported finding that the resolution of sound tended to be better when a stiff cantilever is used. This being said, various additional measures are needed to compensate for harsh and/or brittle sounds. Hence, the attention to detail in concerns to dynamic load, etc.

The Reviews

X-quisite’s cartridges have received several prestigious awards and reviews since their initial conception, some of these include:

Best In The World (German Hi-End Magazine) – 2020
Mono & Stereo (Upper Echelon Class) – 2020
Outstanding Stereoplay Review – Roland Kraft – 2020
Outstanding Audiotechnique Review – Lincoln Cheng – 2020
Hi-Fi & Records Review (Der Querdenker) – 2020

At Phantom Audio, we stock two of the most favoured cartridges from the X-quisite range:

The X-quisite ST (MC-Cartridge)

The ST Model – which stands for (Silver/Titanium), features a pure silver coil that has been matched carefully with an advanced titanium-aluminum-wood sandwich body. Each cartridge is made with care, dedication, and a level of precision that is hard to compete with. Each piece works to create a final product that has been handmade from the very start.

This, therefore, offers the listener many delightful sound characteristics and provides for a truly minimal level of distortion.

The last stage of the process for each cartridge involves Micha Huber’s calibration technique, which ensures that each piece is signed off by the expert himself.

The X-quisite GT Cartridge (24 Carat Gold)

The X-quisite GT Cartridge features a unique pure gold coil. Just like other X-quisite cartridges, the pure gold coil has been matched with an advanced bronze-aluminum-wood sandwich body. This aids the cartridge to provide incredibly rich sound characteristics, that are open as well as natural. Each 24 Carat Gold Cartridge is handmade by CEO Micha Huber himself! The last stage of the process for each cartridge involves Micha Huber’s very own calibration technique before signing off.

*All X-quisite cartridges make use of patented Monobloc transducer technology, ensuring detailed resolution, and a highly natural sound.

How it works

TECH 1

Traditional transducer with aluminium cantilever

The diamond tip is fixed to a cantilever made of aluminium. Since aluminium is a relatively soft material, the high-dynamic tracking process causes deformation of the cantilever and therefore distortion of the signal. Moreover, there is a joint between cantilever and coil body, which, due to lever action, carries the highest dynamical load of the transducer and cannot pass on the movement without loss.

TECH 2

High-end transducer with boron or sapphire cantilever

The cantilever is fully or partly made of boron, sapphire or even diamond. Thus, vibration of the cantilever itself is minimized. But the joint between cantilever and coil body is even harder loaded, and this weak point impairs the quality of the signal transmission.

TECH 3

X-quisite transducer with patented monobloc-ceramic technology

Cantilever and coil body are made of a single high-strength ceramic piece. Accordingly, there is no more joint at the point of the highest dynamic load, and the music signal is transmitted absolutely pure from the diamond tip to the coil body. X-quisite allows supreme detail resolution and at the same time an extremely natural sound.

The Creator – Micha Huber

Micha Huber is an audiophile genius, to say the very least. As well as being a qualified mechanical engineer, he is also a professional musician. After his training, he worked for 5 years developing Swiss watches, with some of these being the finest on the planet.

As well as working as a music teacher, when he successfully created his Thales Tonearm and founded HiFiction, his dreams of combining both of his passions became a reality!

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