SCULPTURE A

SCULPTURE A

Delivering the most accurate vinyl signal.

WHO
WE
ARE

About our
endeavor

SCULPTURE A is a French-based enterprise bringing together a team of European craftsmen and professionals from the audio & broadcast industry.  Through our common history and hands-on experience in electrical and industrial engineering, our aim is to produce innovative analog audio designs combining old & modern technology with  our passion for music reproduction.

With our full understanding  of analog technologies and how they have developed over the years, we aim to improve older cartridge designs with new technology.  

To achieve this new synergy we combine vintage parts like coil wires and generators with contemporary damping designs, diamond tips or cantilever. 

Each of our highly customizable  products is tailor-made in small quantities, built to your specifications only, without ever compromising on technology and workmanship.   

SCULPTURE A products will provide you with years of music bliss, retrieving the most accurate signal from your record collection.

SCULP
TURE
A

Cartridge design
principles

SCULPTURE A cartridge designs are guided by the following principles:

Low Mass

Low effective mass of moving assemblies in phono cartridges.

High tracking

High tracking abilities exceeding 90 micron @ 315 Hz lateral.

Fine-tuning

Fine-tuning both by ear and with  distortion analyzers to achieve best sonic and measurement figures.

Material

Inventive designs based on carefully chosen materials.

Continuity

Full emphasis on the integrity of the signal path from the cartridge to phono stage.

Circuit

Zero feedback circuitry.

SCULP
TURE
A

Model A.3 & A.4
Design

From the internal structure of the legendary Denon DL-103 cartridge we have developed our own evolutions named A .3 and A .4.

Both were born from our questioning of how to best adapt modern diamond tip profiles to a 1962 design. The A .3 and A .4  retain few parts from the original DL-103 but the original AlNiCo magnet still prevails in SCULPTURE A designs.

To achieve the best synergy a new dual structure body was developed, it allows damping and shielding of the generator from both internal and external stimulations. This new structure also helps achieve specific stylus tracking angles for each of the different diamond tip profiles we use.

We also modify the damper and internal settings to achieve a  medium compliance of 12 µm/mN, an optimum fit for most modern tonearms.

Boron cantilevers and modern diamond tips significantly lower the moving effective mass of SCULPTURE A cartridges and provide better tracking (>80 µm @315Hz lateral), improved tonal balance, better dynamic, transient response and soundstage.

The A .4 goes even further, using hand wound copper or silver coils for impedances over ten time lower than that of the original Denon DL-103.  It is the lowest impedance cross coil design with AlNiCo magnet available today and this just one of the reasons why it sounds so vivid and natural.

LE
PHO
NO

Our flagship phono stage. Designed and built in France by Christian Bianchi with more than just the Koetsu cartridges in mind.

LE
PHO
NO

SE mk2

Le Phono SE offers a unique circuit based on rare carefully matched n.o.s. Toshiba 2SK170BL FET. 

With  74dB of gain, +/- 0.2 db of variation for RIAA curve; distorsion of less than 0.4% (10V output @ 1kHz), 74 dB  of balanced SN ratio and automatic adaptive input impedance loading it is the perfect companion for any MC cartridges with outputs from 0.1mV to 0.8mV. 

With only two transistors, one Vishay Nude Z-Foil resistor and two capacitors (Mundorf Silver Gold Oil) per signal path and no feedback (global or local), the new SE version now implements a low cut filter switch.

Le  Phono SE will lift your cartridges with cheerful energy to their full potential, landscaping a true soundstage with respect for tone and timbres.

MINI & NANO

Phono & Step Up

A unique solution to switch from MM to MC cartridges whenever you feel the need for it.

 

Mini Discrete Phono Stage

  • 100% discrete electronic components
  • Class A operation without feedback using 2 J-Fet SK880 per channel
  • Passive RIAA equalization with +/- 0.1 dB deviation
  • 40 dB gain
  • External power supply
  • The perfect companion of our line of Mini Nano Step-Ups

Mini Nano Step up

  • 99.99% copper winding
  • Toroidal nano-cristalline core
  • 20 Hz – 60 kHz +/- 0.5 dB
  • No dip switch
  • Available ratios : 1:5 / 1:10 / 1:15 / 1:20 / 1:26 / 1:30 / 1:40

ECHO

Awards, Events, Reviews, …

◇  Open Doors event in Paris October 15-17 2021

â—‡ Stereophile Recommended Component Fall 2021 Edition Phono Preamplifiers & Cartridges categories

â—‡ MICHAEL FREMER’S  STEREOPHILE REVIEW – MAY 2021

â—‡ Diapason d’or award for the Minis

â—‡ ANALOGAHOLIC INTERVIEW ON TONE AUDIO

â—‡ Step up transformers shoot out

 

DISTRIBUTION

Authorised resellers

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TOUCH

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