Features
CFRP Headshell
What is most required in a headshell? That is, it must be lightweight, yet have high rigidity and toughness, and quickly damp vibrations. Oyaide Electric selected CFRP as the best material to satisfy these requirements.
The 4mm-thick shell is made of 17 layers of prepreg material (carbon fiber board). All but one of the central layers are aligned in a single direction to maximize vibration damping characteristics. The matrix is made of high-toughness epoxy resin, and its strength characteristics remain unchanged semi-permanently. Furthermore, the shape is also carefully designed. The shell part is angle-molded in one piece using a metal mold to avoid the disturbance of the vibration moment caused by the adhesive bonding. After that, they are machined one by one by CNC machining and completed as parts.
The CFRP material that forms the headshell also shows Oyaide's commitment to high quality. The core prepreg material is Toray's high-strength carbon fiber "T700," which is also used in new Boeing aircraft. For the surface material, Toray's T300 carbon fiber 1K cloth is used. This carbon cloth gives the HS-CF a spartan atmosphere of elegance, which strongly impresses its customers.
"HSR-AG" Headshell Lead Wire
It is precisely because they are simple that they must be crafted. This is both Oyaide's philosophy and craftsmanship. The headshell lead wire is also imbued with Oyaide's originality.
Under advanced production control, continuous casting in a high-frequency electric furnace, 19 processes of cold rolling, annealing twice, drawing with a diamond die, and skin-pass treatment are performed to use high-quality "high-purity silver wire" with not only high silver purity but also no gaps at the crystal grain boundaries. The 0.2mm 5N pure silver single wire manufactured under such advanced production control is twisted into 7 strands to secure sufficient cross-sectional area (0.2sq). The conductor resistance has been minimized to the maximum extent.
Double insulation is used for the insulator by means of silk threads. The purpose of adopting natural materials is to prevent static electricity generated in analog playback from being charged and to ensure clean signal transmission.
Resin-based materials (PVC, fluoroplastic, etc.) are easily charged with static electricity due to the action of a negative charge. Silk, on the other hand, is a material that is not easily charged with static electricity and has excellent electrical properties. Similarly, the glass fiber sleeve used for the exterior is a material with high insulating properties and low static charge.
The shell tip attached to the terminal is also a true expression of Oyaide Electric. Phosphor bronze with high springiness is used as the base material to improve the adhesion rate with the contact pins. The surface is plated with rhodium to prevent oxidation.