Meet the EBI Khumar
A beautifully built MC cartridge
The EBI Khumar has an ebony body with a boron cantilever and nude Shibata stylus.
Michael Fremer: "This is a very well-constructed cartridge."
When Michael Fremer wrote a very positive review of a new moving coil cartridge from an Indian company called EBI and mentioned a high-end Lyra cartridge in the same piece, both Shane Buettner and Issac Markowitz of MIBS Distro pricked up their ears.
After all, while the Lyra Atlas Lambda SL was clearly the better cartridge, it was also $13,000 to the EBI Khumar's $2,600. In his April 22 review titled 'A Superbly Built, High-Value MC Cartridge From India' on Tracking Angle, Michael Fremer wrote that "the Khumar could well be one of today's best MC values."
After setting it up and using a digital oscilloscope to check outputs, Fremer examined the numbers and surmised: "This is a very well-constructed cartridge."
The Khumar's at No. 1
Of course, Shane and Isaac had to hear one for themselves, and wasted no time in having one shipped over from EBI headquarters near New Delhi. "I was shocked at how much I enjoyed it immediately," said Isaac, whose distribution company also represents Lyra. "It's musical and beautiful right away."
As he spent more time with it, he noticed how it "very, very clearly articulates the human voice," a quality that made it almost magical to live with.
Shane commented on the Khumar's "wonderful textural detail and imaging," saying it has all the expressiveness of a wood-bodied cartridge but without being overtly colored.
The Khumar comes in a beautiful wooden box, and EBI's quality control is impeccable.
Issac said the QC done at EBI is almost identical to what his company does with Lyra. Every cartridge is inspected on a microscope camera and then fully tested. EBI cartridges that don't meet the stringent specs are sent back down the line to be disassembled and remade with replacement parts as needed. This attention to detail, a highly qualified assembly team, and the use of an extremely expensive boron cantilever and Shibata III stylus assembly are the reasons why the Khumar is receiving so much praise for offering so much at such a low price.
EBI is headed by Tariq Shafeeque, a hi-fi enthusiast and structural engineer. Look for a detailed story on him and EBI in an upcoming blog post.
We have the EBI Khumar in stock. Says our analog manager, Sean-Paul Williams, "If you missed out on trying a Koetsu, this is an incredibly well-priced Koetsu-esque alternative that, arguably, may even do some things better."
New Video: Audiophile Bookshelf Speakers Under $3,000
BEST Audiophile Bookshelf Speakers Under $3,000 | Fyne Audio, JBL, MoFi
Welcome to another exciting video from Upscale Audio! Join Jake and Jordan as they delve into the world of high-end bookshelf speakers, presenting their top three picks under $3,000. Whether you’re a seasoned audiophile or just starting your journey, these speakers will elevate your listening experience to new heights.