Sumiko MDC-800
Little is documented about the Sumiko MDC-800 on its own. The period record shows it was a tonearm. Nearly all the surviving coverage comes from one source: Audio magazine's September 1983 equipment profile (p.74), which reviewed the MDC-800 together with the Talisman S cartridge.
Audio (September 1983, p.77) described the MDC-800/Talisman S combination as having a more spacious sound than the reference system, though with slightly less stable images. The review's conclusion said the pairing let you play existing recordings with a technical excellence that was hard to surpass (p.78). The same issue's measured data gives the arm a pivot-to-stylus distance of 9.0 inches (22.9 cm), a pivot-to-rear-of-arm distance of 2.63 inches (6.7 cm), and a height adjustment range of 1.38 to 2.25 inches. The manufacturer's specifications cite a 10.4-inch overall length (p.74).
Known specs
- Tonearm, 10.4 in overall length
- Pivot-to-stylus: 9.0 in (22.9 cm)
- Pivot-to-rear of arm: 2.63 in (6.7 cm)
- Height adjustment: 1.38 to 2.25 in
Beyond the 1983 review and a listing in Audio's October 1984 tonearm survey (p.230), almost nothing is recorded about the MDC-800. No production years, price or standalone sales history have surfaced.
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