The continued evolution of the Benz cartridge line and the culmination of years of research and manufacturing refinements, the S Class incorporates new materials, advancements in moving coil and suspension design, and upgraded styli on the Benz Swiss hand-made moving coils.

The new LP S ($5,000 MSRP) incorporates a higher mass brass frame for improved coupling to tonearms, evolved ruby square plate generator and Ebony body. Brass, an alloy of copper and tin, complements Ebony, materials used for building musical instruments. The LP S has 50% more mass than the previous model for enhanced vibrational and resonant characteristics, thus revealing greater dynamic contrasts, deeper bass and increased resolution from all records.

Introducing the SLR gullwing at $2,500 MSRP. SLR stands for “S” Class, “L” for Luft or air in German, and “R” for Ruby. Gullwing is our homage to the Benz Glider symbol. At first glance, the SLR resembles the famous Glider, but the new SLR gullwing is derived from the highly regarded Benz Ruby and the new LP S. An open air design like the Glider, the SLR is the only Benz cartridge other then the LP S with a frame machined from Brass. The generator uses the square Ruby plate and oversized neodymium magnet similar to the Benz Ruby. Finally, the Benz Dynascan, combining the Gyger S stylus side bonded to a solid boron cantilever at the Benz Swiss factory by hand complete, this outstanding cartridge. Open, sweet, detailed and dynamic, the Benz SLR gullwing is more than a “Super Glider”. Think of it as the “convertible sports coupe” version of the LP S.

The S Class models of the Wood Body SL (low), SM (medium) and SH (high), ($1,500 MSRP), Glider SL, SM, SH ($1,000 MSRP) and ACE SL, SM, SH ($700 MSRP) all incorporate the Benz Dynascan with Gyger S stylus coupled to improved generators using new coil windings and refined pole pieces/damper designs. Albert Lukaschek began researching increased performance and uniformity of his crosscoil designs while developing the Benz Ebony H, L and TR models. Experimenting with the length of the solid Boron cantilever revealed how the elasticity of this very stiff material contributed to compliance and trackability. Development of a grooved rear pole piece for countersinking the o-ring damper, first introduced on the Benz Ruby square plate cartridges, was then adapted to the cross coil designs, given their lower contact area and damping characteristics. The lower mass coils and matched cantilevers of the new S Class retain their real world output levels and with their improved styli, offer higher performance. Music lovers are getting the best performance/value ratio in phono cartridges, regardless of output level. We offer industry leading programs in upgrading previous Benz models to the new S Class.