Details matter in audio design. Getting those details right makes the difference between good and great, and right now, we can’t think of a better example of this than Vertere’s new Dark Sabre moving magnet cartridge. We are big fans of the standard Sabre cartridge (£950 / $1199). We reviewed it back in 2022 and it proved that moving magnet cartridges could compete with the very best moving coil options at its premium price.
The Dark Sabre pushes that price boundary even harder. Initially, we wondered whether Vertere had been blinded by ambition. After all, the two Sabre models share many basic ingredients including the generator, telescopic cantilever design and even body construction. But, details matter.
