Clearaudio Jubilee MC Moving Coil System

The Clearaudio Jubilee MC is a moving coil cartridge that Clearaudio launched to mark the company's 40th anniversary — the brand's first MC with a Panzerholz housing.

It takes on the distinctive "Flower Top" design and the long, exposed boron cantilever of the top-tier MCs all the way up to the Goldfinger Statement. What's special lies in the material: instead of metal or ebony, the generator sits in Panzerholz, a laminated wood pressed under high pressure.

Why the Jubilee MC?

The ingredients come from Clearaudio's upper class: a 24-karat gold coil in a perfectly pivot-symmetrical arrangement, a clearaudio Prime Line diamond on a boron cantilever, and channel separation above 32 dB. It's hand-made in Erlangen; violin makers in neighbouring Bubenreuth handle the lacquering and polishing of the housing — craftsmanship you wouldn't normally expect from a cartridge.

What you hear

A large, calm soundstage with fine resolution and surprising body. The Panzerholz lends the sound a sense of composure and a deep black background — high-end refinement without harshness, even after the third side in a row.

Who is the Jubilee MC for?

For high-end vinyl listeners with a decent MC stage, and for collectors who appreciate the anniversary model. To be blunt: 0.5 mV and 50 Ω internal resistance call for a good MC phono stage — on a weak input, you're giving away its potential. If, on the other hand, you want the Goldfinger's Flower Top principle for a fraction of the price, this is exactly the right choice.

Our verdict

An anniversary MC that bundles top-tier technology and a unique housing at a price that's reasonable for this league; FIDELITY and HiFi & RECORDS have followed it, most recently FIDELITY in October 2024. At HD Zürisee in Wädenswil, we mount and align it to the millimetre and tell you honestly which phono stage does it justice.

Technical data

• Type: Moving Coil (MC)
• Output voltage: 0.5 mV (5 cm/s)
• Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
• Channel separation: > 32 dB
• Channel balance: < 0.5 dB
• Tracking ability: 80 µm
• Stylus tip: clearaudio Prime Line
• Cantilever: Boron
• Recommended tracking force: 2.8 g (± 0.2 g)
• System impedance: 50 Ω
• Stylus compliance: 15 µm/mN
• Coil arrangement: perfectly pivot-symmetrical
• Coil material: 24-karat gold
• Housing: Panzerholz
• Weight: 7.5 g
• Mounting: ½ inch standard
• Warranty: 2 years (with return of the warranty card within 14 days)

Frequently asked questions

What makes the Jubilee MC special?

It's Clearaudio's first MC with a Panzerholz housing and carries the Flower Top design of the flagship models. Add to that a 24-karat gold coil in a pivot-symmetrical arrangement and a Prime Line diamond on a boron cantilever. It's hand-made in Erlangen, and violin makers in Bubenreuth handle the polishing.

What phono stage does the Jubilee MC need?

A good MC phono stage. With 0.5 mV output voltage and 50 Ω internal resistance, it's one of the classic moving coils — a clean MC input with around 60 to 66 dB of gain and a matching load is essential. We're happy to advise you on the ideal setting.

Is there a replacement stylus for the Jubilee MC?

No. On a moving coil system, the cantilever is permanently connected to the generator — a replaceable stylus like on MM systems simply doesn't exist by design. If the diamond wears out after many years, it's handled through an exchange system or a retipping service — we take care of that for you.

What is Panzerholz?

An extremely dense laminated wood pressed under high pressure, so hard and heavy that it sinks in water. Clearaudio also uses it in its finest turntables — in a cartridge, this low-resonance material damps the housing body and keeps the background quiet.

Why buy the Jubilee MC from HD Zürisee?

Because an MC in this class deserves alignment down to the millimetre — and that's exactly what we deliver. We tune it to your arm, advise you honestly on the phono stage, and, as an authorised Clearaudio dealer, handle the warranty correctly. Contact: +41 44 680 22 00, WhatsApp 076 534 22 00 (text only, no calls), shop@hdzuerisee.ch.

Goes well with

You'll find the right foundation and electronics among our turntables, tonearms and phono preamps. More cartridges for comparison are available under cartridges.