For his top models, Transfiguration designer Seiji Yoshioka developed a single ring-magnet construction technique wherein the coils at the base of a cartridge’s cantilever are located in the center of a ring magnet.
This differs from standard moving-coil construction, where the coils are located within a small housing in which a rectangular magnet is placed above them, with front and rear yokes stationed to balance the magnetic field the coils move in.
Yoshioka feels that, even with the help of these yokes, the magnetic field remains unbalanced between the top and bottom of the coil, resulting in “minute variances in output and phase,” which affect timing and focus, tonal balance, and ambient cues. Transfiguration believes that its “yokeless” technique results in a more balanced and “intimate positioning of coil and magnet,” creating a more natural, balanced, and coherent sound.
The Phoenix and Axia use a slightly different technique, in which ring magnets are placed in front of and behind the coils to balance the magnetic field. It’s not quite as difficult to build as a single ring magnet, but still requires tremendous skill to assemble.
This new Phoenix is not just a little better than the original—it’s a lot better.
PHOENIX
