Transfiguration Proteus Diamond

Transfiguration MC phono capsules are handcrafted in Japan by Immutable Music Seiji Yoshioka. The design of it has always been guided by two firm principles: first, to extract the most musical details of the rhythm of a record and second, to get out of the way. So when a Transfiguration pod is said to be "lacking in character", it's a compliment. Says Yoshioka: "The best audio components are those that just don't seem to exist, so good that they don't add anything, they don't subtract anything, they just take everything out."

It is precisely this quest that led Yoshioka to develop a limited edition of Transfiguration's flagship Proteus capsule: the new Proteus D. 'D' stands for diamond stylus, which explains why this is a limited edition. "Producing a diamond needle is a unique challenge," explains Yoshioka. "Of course it's expensive, but more than that, it takes an extremely highly trained technician to make it." In most other respects the design and specifications of the 'D' largely match that of the 'standard' Proteus.

Its patented yokeless double-ring magnet design provides a precise coil/magnet interface, in which coils of pure 5N (99.997%) silver wire are positioned right at the focal point of the magnetic flux field. The Proteus design also features push-pull cushioning. Its dual multi-layer shock absorbers are made from a specifically developed stabilizing compound comprising different types of elastomers. Insensitive to changes in temperature, the double shock absorbers of the new limited edition Proteus D have been specially redesigned for the diamond stylus. It has a sleek matte black body engraved with a 'D' for diamond.

Technical specifications:

Resonance-controlled, precision-machined solid aluminum body

0.3mm cantilever solid diamond

Stylus Micro-ridge diamond, 2.5 x 75μm

Core and coils Ultra-3S-μ-metal square core with 5N silver coils

Neodymium magnet, front and rear

Weight 7.8g

Electrical output voltage 0.2mV (3.54cm/s, 1kHz)

Internal impedance 1Ω

Frequency response 10Hz - 20kHz + 1.5dB; 20Hz - 40kHz + 2dB

Channel separation > 30dB (200Hz - 1kHz)

Recommended tracking force 2g