'Diamond' cantilevers: a man's best friend?


An increasing number of cartridge manufacturers is offering models with 'diamond' cantilevers at the top of their range, generally priced at the wrong side of $10k. The price hike compared to - otherwise identical - models with boron (or other) cantilevers runs in the multiple thousands.

Can anyone explain why? Is this just an artificial price point to emphasize exclusivity or does it have to do with material or manufacturing cost, even if there's not much material to begin with? And speaking of artificial, are these cantilevers made from 'real' diamond, or some industrial type? Are all diamond cantilevers created equal or do we see a variety of diamond-like materials sold as 'real' diamond? And what about the rare 'one piece' diamond stylus/cantilevers used in a few vintage cartridges (Sony XL-88D, Dynavector, Kiseki Lapis Lazuli); are these new top dollar diamond cantilever cartridges (like some Koetsu's, Ortofon MC Century, Transfiguration Orpheus Diamond, etc.) of the 'one piece' type? And if not, what is the presumed advantage compared to ruby, sapphire, boron or any other cantilever materials? In short: does anyone know what the 'diamond' cantilever landscape really looks like?

And finally the really important question: do 'diamond' cantilevers - all else being equal - offer superior performance that would begin to justify the price difference? Has anyone done the required comparative listening?

PS: a have a nice collection of MC's with a variety of cantilever materials: sapphire, ruby, boron, aluminium, beryllium, or some combination of materials. But not 'diamond' (real or otherwise), so I'm curious to find out if I'm missing out on something.



edgewear

Showing 5 responses by invictus005

Diamond rod is not a good material for a cantilever. It’s heavy. Boron pipe is the best, followed by aluminum alloy pipe. Both are extremely rigid and light. 

I’m not a fan of boron and ruby rods either.

Boron pipes have not been manufactured for decades and boron rods are no longer made either. Some stock remains. 
@rodman99999 Yup, that’s one way to do it. Ortofon MC Century also has a rather truncated diamond cantilever and it’s my favorite sounding MC cartridge of all time. However, I would still take a 2M Black over it. Just cannot accept the MC sound character. It’s significantly distorted from source tape. 

In today’s world, aluminum pipe, or aluminum alloy pipe is the way to go.

But if it was cost no object and it was still manufactured, I would take boron pipe as the ultimate cantilever. 
@rauliruegas Diamond cantilevers are always rods, aluminum alloy and boron cantilevers can be pipes. The numbers you posted are misleading. 
@rauliruegas All of those numbers are for wire/rods. Please show me Young’s modulus for diamond rod versus boron pipe. A boron pipe will be significantly more rigid than the numbers for boron rod you have listed. Boron pipe will be as rigid as a diamond rod and much lighter.