Benz ACE

Data

General

• Manufacturer: Benz Micro
• Model: ACE
• Years of manufacture:
• Made in: Switzerland
• Color:
  • Red (ACE L)
  • Transparent (ACE M)
  • Blue (ACE H)
• Weight: 8,8 g
• Original price approx.: 700,- EUR

Technical Data

• Principle: Moving Coil (MC)
• Frequency response: 20 - 20,000 Hz
• Channel separation: > 35 dB at 1 kHz
• Channel balance: < 0.5 dB
• Crosstalk attenuation:
• Output voltage:
  • 0.40 mV (L)
  • 0.80 mV (M)

2.50 mV (H)

• Terminating resistor:
  • 100 - 47,000 ohms (L)

200 - 47,000 Ohm (M)

• • 1,000 - 47,000 Ohm (H)
• Scanning capability at 315 Hz: 80 µm
• Needle type: Line Contact (r/R: 5/40 µm), naked on boron needle carrier
• Recommended tracking force: 17 - 18 mN
• Needle compliance: 15 µm/mN

Reports

• Stereo issue 5/2005
  • Sound level: 88
  • Price/Performance: outstanding

"Without making a big fuss about the modifications, Benz has improved its Shooting Star ACE L considerably. The MC system has become electrically less critical and makes its predecessor look old in the truest sense of the word in terms of sound.... Its frequency response seems to be drawn with a ruler. 20 millinewtons of contact force are enough for the pickup to cleanly sample even powerful amplitudes. Perfect!... (Peter) Lukaschek makes the sensation perfect with the new ACE L. In view of the 560 euro price tag, the largely unproblematic MC cartridge sounds outstanding, sampling even critical passages cleanly. In its price range, no one can hold a candle to it, and above that, the competition will be even tighter than before. ER is the tip for all music genres with a slight preference for pop and rhythmically oriented styles. The ACE L is an ideal match for medium-heavy arms and thus for the vast majority of turntables. Only good enough they should be."

• Stereoplay issue 10/2005
  • Sound: top class (41 points)
  • Overall rating: good - very good
  • Price/Performance: outstanding

"With powerful playing and rich timbres this MC system, which is reasonably priced in its sound class, won a stereoplay Highlight."

• Audio Heft 2/2009

Overall rating: top class Price/Performance: very good

"... if you have a reasonably low-noise preamplifier, you should go for the L, which sounds the cleanest and liveliest. Whereby subjective liveliness can be achieved in different ways: The ACE achieves it neither through a treble emphasis (which the system perfectly denies itself metrologically) nor abundant distortion (here, too, the laboratory gives the all-clear with first-class values). Rather, the ACE translates faithfully into tension what the groove dictates to it. The fact that it can be driven over a huge dynamic range without irritating the ear, which is highly sensitive in this respect, with the onset of limiting, means liveliness through dynamics..."

Links

• web presence of the German distributor