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Benefits at Work

Sumiko Smile Best

The Smile Best has medium compliance. It thrives on medium to medium-heavy tonearms. Think Rega, Pro-Ject (9cc or Carbon), and vintage Japanese S-shaped tonearms (Technics SL-1200). It will not work well on ultra-light linear tracking arms or very heavy old broadcast arms.

To match its performance in a Moving Coil cartridge, you would need to spend around $500 (e.g., the Denon DL-103, which also requires a step-up transformer). When you factor in that the Smile Best has a user-replaceable stylus (buy the Sumiko "Smile Best Replacement Stylus" when it wears out), the long-term value is undeniable. sumiko smile best

| Feature | Sumiko Smile Best | Ortofon 2M Blue | Nagaoka MP-110 | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Nude Elliptical | Nude Elliptical | Bonded Elliptical | | Sound | Warm, Musical, Lush | Detailed, Neutral, Airy | Rich, Full, Vintage | | Tracking | Excellent (2.0g) | Very Good (1.8g) | Good (1.8g) | | Best For | Rock, Jazz, Vocals | Classical, Acoustic | Old records, Pop | | Fatigue | Very Low | Moderate | Low | The Smile Best has medium compliance

Vocals are liquid gold. Norah Jones’ voice on "Come Away With Me" is intimate—you hear the breath in her lungs. Electric guitars have crunch and bite but never harshness. This is the "smile" the cartridge is named for; it imparts a euphonic quality to the music that makes you nod your head and tap your feet. It will not work well on ultra-light linear

Sumiko recommends 1.8 to 2.2 grams. We found the sweet spot at exactly 2.0 grams . Below that, the bass thins out. Above that, the treble rolls off and the cartridge sounds sluggish.

The Smile Best has medium compliance. It thrives on medium to medium-heavy tonearms. Think Rega, Pro-Ject (9cc or Carbon), and vintage Japanese S-shaped tonearms (Technics SL-1200). It will not work well on ultra-light linear tracking arms or very heavy old broadcast arms.

To match its performance in a Moving Coil cartridge, you would need to spend around $500 (e.g., the Denon DL-103, which also requires a step-up transformer). When you factor in that the Smile Best has a user-replaceable stylus (buy the Sumiko "Smile Best Replacement Stylus" when it wears out), the long-term value is undeniable.

| Feature | Sumiko Smile Best | Ortofon 2M Blue | Nagaoka MP-110 | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Nude Elliptical | Nude Elliptical | Bonded Elliptical | | Sound | Warm, Musical, Lush | Detailed, Neutral, Airy | Rich, Full, Vintage | | Tracking | Excellent (2.0g) | Very Good (1.8g) | Good (1.8g) | | Best For | Rock, Jazz, Vocals | Classical, Acoustic | Old records, Pop | | Fatigue | Very Low | Moderate | Low |

Vocals are liquid gold. Norah Jones’ voice on "Come Away With Me" is intimate—you hear the breath in her lungs. Electric guitars have crunch and bite but never harshness. This is the "smile" the cartridge is named for; it imparts a euphonic quality to the music that makes you nod your head and tap your feet.

Sumiko recommends 1.8 to 2.2 grams. We found the sweet spot at exactly 2.0 grams . Below that, the bass thins out. Above that, the treble rolls off and the cartridge sounds sluggish.