Benz Micro Ebony H MC Cartridge, High Output

The Benz Micro Ebony H is a handcrafted Swiss high-output moving-coil cartridge with an ebony body, designed for operation with MM and tube phono stages.

The Ebony H is the loud variant in the series: the same iron cross coil generator and the same Mozambique ebony body as the Ebony L, but with 2.5 mV output voltage and 90 Ω internal impedance. That lets it deliver the Ebony virtues – warmth, naturalness, a quiet background – even on phono stages that don't have a high-gain MC module.

Why the Ebony H?

Because you get genuine moving-coil sound from an ebony system without additionally investing in a high-gain MC stage or a step-up transformer. The bare micro-ridge diamond on a solid boron rod pulls the finest details out of the groove, the dense ebony smothers resonances. That makes even a solid MM or tube phono stage suddenly sound a class more grown-up.

What you get

A high-output MC cartridge for MM and tube phono stages, each unit with an individual measurement protocol. Ebony body, iron cross coil, micro-ridge diamond. At HD Zürisee in Wädenswil we check beforehand whether your phono input really fits, and mount and align the cartridge completely on request.

Who's the Ebony H for?

Honestly: the Ebony H is ideal if you want to keep a high-quality MM or tube phono stage and still move up into the Ebony class. Note: at Benz, "High Output" means 2.5 mV – somewhat less than many MM cartridges, so your input should be low-noise. Anyone with a first-class high-gain MC stage seeking maximum silence is served more finely by the Ebony L or M.

Our verdict

The Ebony H opens up the Ebony class for anyone who wants to keep their good MM or tube phono stage. Same body, same generator as the L – just louder. Benz specifies more than 1 kΩ as the load, and a classic 47 kΩ input meets that comfortably. Anyone with a high-end MC input does a touch finer with the L or M; for MM and tube chains, the H is the direct route to genuine MC sound.

Technical data

• System type: Moving Coil (MC), High Output
• Generator: Iron cross coil
• Output voltage: 2.5 mV (at 3.54 cm/s)
• Internal impedance: 90 Ω
• Recommended load impedance: > 1 kΩ (a 47 kΩ MM input satisfies this)
• Stylus profile: Micro-Ridge (bare diamond), 5 × 120 µm
• Cantilever: solid boron rod, 0.28 mm
• Body: Mozambique ebony
• Compliance: 14 µm/mN
• Tracking force: 1.6 – 1.9 g
• Weight: 10.7 g
• Break-in time: approx. 40 h
• Scope of delivery: individual measurement protocol, mounting screws, stylus brush

Frequently asked questions

Can I connect the Ebony H to an MM input?

Yes. Benz specifies more than 1 kΩ as the load – a classic 47 kΩ MM input meets that without any trouble, as do most tube phono stages. That's exactly what the Ebony H is built for: genuine moving-coil sound without an additional high-gain MC stage. We're happy to check with you whether your input is low-noise enough.

What's the difference between the Ebony L, M and H?

Same body, same generator, same diamond – what differs is output voltage and internal impedance: L 0.26 mV at 5 Ω, M 0.8 mV, H 2.5 mV at 90 Ω. The H is the variant for MM and tube inputs, L and M belong on an MC input.

Does the Ebony H lose sound quality compared to the L?

The higher voltage needs more coil windings, so somewhat more moving mass. In practice the difference is small. The gain of fully using an existing good MM or tube stage weighs considerably more, for most chains, than this theoretical head start.

Why buy the Benz Micro Ebony H from HD Zürisee?

Because a high-output MC is only as good as the input behind it. At HD Zürisee in Wädenswil we check beforehand whether your MM or tube stage fits, mount the cartridge and align tracking force, VTA and azimuth. Reach us on 044 680 22 00, on WhatsApp 076 534 22 00 (text only, no calls) or at shop@hdzuerisee.ch.

Goes well with

You'll find turntables under Turntables, MM-capable stages under Phono Preamplifiers. The brand's other cartridges are in the BENZ Micro overview, more cartridges in the Cartridges list, matching cables under Cables.