Clearaudio Jubilee MC Cartridge Lab Report

Lab Report

The origin of the 24K gold coils and symmetrical magnet array inside the Jubilee can be traced back to the generator assembly inside the Concerto [HFN Sep '06], Stradivari v2 [HFN Aug '10], Talisman v2 Gold [HFN Jul '12] and even the flagship Goldfinger Statement [HFN Jan '15] where no fewer than 12 magnets are employed. In this newest generation, output is higher than the specified 0.5mV at a generous 0.7mV (re. 1kHz/5cm/sec into 100ohm) and with a tight channel balance of 0.13dB. The Panzerholz shell is rigid but very lightweight, and even with the metal frontispiece and inset top-plate, the Jubilee weighs just 7.5g. Combine this with the higher-than-rated 20cu compliance and this MC is seems suited to lower effective mass tonearms.

Thus partnered, the Jubilee turns out to be a superb tracker (as well it might at 2.8g) surmounting the 80µm groove pitch, sailing through the +15dB band (315Hz lateral cut, re. 11.2μm) at ~0.5% THD and clearing the maximum +18dB band at ~0.8% THD. Again, like earlier Clearaudio MCs, the unequalised 1kHz/5cm/sec distortion is not 'low' at 4% but it's a benign 2nd harmonic, and the equalised stereo trace holds between 1-4% across the entire 20Hz-20kHz audioband [re. –8dB, see Graph 2]. The 'Prime Line' diamond is of high quality but the VTA is a high 28o, so some adjustment of rear arm height might be useful in tweaking its tonal balance. Talking of which, the Jubilee's response pitches up at 10kHz (+4dB lateral, +3dB vertical) before falling away to –8dB/20kHz [stereo, dashed trace, Graph 1] – a bending mode in the long cantilever, perhaps. Nevertheless the symmetry of these L+R and L-R responses augurs well for the uniformity of the Jubilee's soundstaging. PM

1222clear.lab1

Freq. resp. curves (–8dB re. 5cm/sec) lateral (L+R, black) vs. vertical (L–R, red) vs. stereo (dashed)

1222clear.lab2

Lateral (L+R, black), vertical (L–R, red), stereo (dashed) tracing and generator distortion (2nd-4th harms) vs. freq. from 20Hz-20kHz (–8dB re. 5cm/sec)

Generator type/weight Moving-coil / 7.5g
Recommended tracking force 26-30mN (2.8mN)
Sensitivity/balance (re. 5cm/sec) 698µV / 0.13dB
Compliance (vertical/lateral) 20cu / 18cu
Vertical tracking angle 28 degrees
L/R Tracking ability 80μm / 80μm
L/R Distortion (–8dB, 20Hz-20kHz) 1.2–8.5% / 0.95–3.6%
L/R Frequency resp. (20Hz-20kHz) +3.1 to –8.6dB / +3.4 to –8.8dB
Stereo separation (1kHz / 20kHz) 26dB / 21dB
Price £4460

COMPANY INFO
Clearaudio Electronic GmbH
Germany
Supplied by: Sound Fowndations, UK
0118 981 4238
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