Analog Relax EX500 — MC Phono Cartridge | Ex-Demo

The Analog Relax EX500 sits at the mid-point of Analog Relax's moving-coil cartridge range, positioned between the EX300 and the flagship EX1000. It is a hand-built Japanese moving-coil cartridge that combines a Romanian hard maple body — the same tonewood used in fine violin construction — with pure silver coils and a hyper-elliptical solid diamond stylus. This ex-demonstration unit is available at a significant saving on the new price and has been used in our Norwich showroom.

Romanian Hard Maple Body

The EX500's body is machined from Romanian hard maple, a dense, resonance-controlling tonewood selected for its acoustic properties. The same material is used by instrument makers in violin construction, chosen for the way it handles vibration. In a cartridge body, the goal is to dissipate unwanted resonance rather than amplify it — the maple achieves this whilst keeping the body lightweight.

Pure Silver Coils

The EX500's generator uses hand-wound pure silver coils. Silver has lower resistivity than copper, which Analog Relax use to minimise signal degradation at source. The coils are wound by hand to exacting tolerances, with each unit individually checked before leaving the factory.

Hyper-Elliptical Stylus and IF Adhesive Technology

The hyper-elliptical solid diamond stylus is precision-polished to track the groove geometry with greater accuracy than a standard elliptical profile. Analog Relax's IF (Instant Fix) adhesive technology bonds the diamond to the cantilever using a diamond-dust compound, which the manufacturer states eliminates cantilever wobble and improves tracking consistency.

Reinforced Aluminium Cantilever and Multi-Neodymium Magnets

The cantilever is aluminium, with a reinforced construction for improved rigidity. The generator uses multiple neodymium magnets, which Analog Relax configure to maximise micro-dynamic resolution — the cartridge's ability to resolve fine gradations of volume within a musical passage.

Technical Specifications

Who Is It For?

The EX500 suits an established vinyl listener who wants a serious moving-coil cartridge and is ready to step beyond entry-level MC performance. It requires a quality MC phono stage — its 0.5mV output is at the higher end for a moving-coil, which broadens phono stage compatibility. If you are building a system around a high-quality turntable and tonearm and want a cartridge that will stay relevant as the rest of your system develops, the EX500 is a considered choice. The new EX500 is also available if you would prefer a boxed unit.

Buying from Martins Hi-Fi

Martins Hi-Fi has been in Norwich since 1968. Elizabeth Gould runs the business today, and we stock only brands we have heard properly and stand behind. Dave and Chris are the people to speak to about Analog Relax cartridges — they can advise on tonearm matching, phono stage compatibility, and whether this ex-demo unit is the right fit for your system. We are happy to discuss setup and alignment support as part of the purchase.

Contact us at [email protected], call 01603 627010, or WhatsApp on 07554 687137. You can read more about how we work on our Why Martins Hi-Fi page. We are at 85–91 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EY.