Konica FM Phono Cartridge
Konica didn't build the cartridge. An outside OEM manufacturer supplied it, and it appears to have been sold under other brand names too, including "Midrange" and possibly "Acutex," though that connection is not fully confirmed. The FM was a premium offering in its day, with "Konica" prominently displayed on the body.
Documentation on the FM is thin. No original price, production years, or official marketing materials have surfaced in the archive. What is known comes largely from enthusiast forums and a single spec listing. The cartridge is rare, and those who have heard it tend to speak well of it. One AudioKarma user called it a sleeper, reporting that it beat the Audio-Technica AT440MLa in their system. Another described it as one of the best they'd heard. High Fidelity (April 1984, p.46) covered Konica's video products that year, but the FM cartridge itself appears to have escaped the mainstream audio press of the period.
The catch, as with many vintage cartridges, is the stylus. The original Konica FM stylus has been discontinued for years. Aftermarket replacements, sometimes listed under the misspelled name "Konoa FM," may not match the original's quality. A cartridge with a healthy original stylus is worth holding onto.
- Moving magnet phono cartridge
- Tracking force: 1–2 grams (recommended 1.5 g)
- Frequency response: 10 Hz – 25 kHz
- Output: 3.0 mV
- Channel separation: 25 dB at 1 kHz
- Stylus: 0.3 x 0.7 mil elliptical
- Weight: 5.5 grams
- Load resistance: 47k ohms
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