Wilson Benesch Tessellate Ti-S Cartridge

The Wilson Benesch Tessellate Ti-S pairs a sapphire cantilever with Wilson Benesch's SLS titanium cartridge platform to deliver a moving coil cartridge with extended frequency response, refined detail retrieval, and a beautifully fluid midrange. As the middle cartridge in the Tessellate range, the Ti-S builds on the foundation of the Ti-B with a harder, stiffer cantilever material and a micro ridge stylus that reads deeper into the groove wall for greater low-level information.

Key Features of the Wilson Benesch Tessellate Ti-S Cartridge

• SLS Titanium Body: 3D-printed titanium housing with tessellated architecture for maximum rigidity at less than 30% of the mass of an equivalent solid structure
• Sapphire Cantilever: Lab-grown sapphire rod with hybrid carbon fiber damping sleeve for smooth treble extension and a liquid, natural midrange
• Micro Ridge Stylus: 3x80 micrometer profile reads finer groove detail than elliptical designs, retrieving low-level musical information with precision
• Pure Iron Square Coil Generator: 0.35mV output at 6 ohms impedance with flexible 100-330 ohm loading for broad phono stage compatibility
• Extended Frequency Response: 20-30,000Hz within plus or minus 1dB with greater than 35dB channel separation at 1kHz
• FIN Resonance Control: Tessellated titanium component mounts opposite the cartridge body for signal purity at the source
• Three Finish Options: Matt Titanium, Polished Silver, and Polished Gold with no impact on acoustic performance

SLS Titanium Body with Tessellated Architecture

Every Tessellate cartridge shares the same body: a one-piece titanium structure manufactured using Selective Laser Sintering in partnership with Renishaw PLC. The SLS process builds the body layer-by-layer from titanium alloy powder, allowing Wilson Benesch to create a semi-open, tessellated geometry inspired by the biomimetic principles of natural bone tissue. The design achieves the stiffness equivalent of an 18mm solid titanium structure at less than 30% of the mass. Tessellated cavities filled with viscoelastic adhesive convert mechanical energy to heat across a broad surface area, providing damping characteristics that no solid-body cartridge can replicate. The non-magnetic titanium ensures zero field interactions with the cartridge's generator.

Hybrid Sapphire Cantilever with Micro Ridge Stylus

The Ti-S features Wilson Benesch's hybrid cantilever technology, combining a sapphire rod cantilever with an asymmetrically positioned uni-directional carbon fiber damping sleeve. Sapphire offers remarkable hardness and stiffness with excellent internal damping, translating to a smooth, airy treble extension and a relaxed, liquid midrange that excels with vocals and acoustic instruments. The hybrid design adds the carbon fiber sleeve at the cantilever's midpoint, providing additional stiffness and damping without meaningful mass increase. Paired with a micro ridge stylus at 3x80 micrometers, the Ti-S reads finer groove detail than the elliptical-equipped Ti-B, retrieving musical information that wider stylus profiles simply cannot access.

Pure Iron Square Coil Generator

The Tessellate Ti-S uses pure iron square coils that deliver an output voltage of 0.35mV at 3.54cm/s with an internal impedance of 6 ohms. Recommended loading is between 100 and 330 ohms, giving system matching flexibility across a wide range of MC phono stages and step-up transformers. The slightly higher output compared to the Ti-B, combined with the sapphire cantilever's inherently smooth character, makes the Ti-S particularly easy to integrate into existing analog front ends.

Extended Performance Envelope

The sapphire cantilever and micro ridge stylus combination extends the Ti-S's frequency response to 20-30,000Hz within plus or minus 1dB, a meaningful step beyond the Ti-B's 25kHz upper limit. Channel separation improves to better than 35dB at 1kHz, and tracking ability rises to 80 micrometers at 315Hz. Dynamic compliance of 15 micrometers per millinewton provides excellent groove tracing in medium-mass tonearms, while the optimum tracking force remains at 1.35 grams. These specifications reflect the sapphire cantilever's ability to follow the groove with greater precision and lower distortion.

The FIN Resonance Control

Like all Tessellate cartridges, the Ti-S ships with the FIN, a tessellated titanium component that mounts opposite the cartridge body. The FIN mitigates resonances close to their source, near the cantilever and generator, for improved signal purity. Combined with Wilson Benesch's own tonearms featuring helical-wound carbon fiber headshells and cork gasket interfaces, the result is a comprehensive resonance management system from stylus tip to tonearm pivot.

The Wilson Benesch Tessellate Ti-S in Your System

At 17.1 grams, the Ti-S is designed for medium-mass tonearms with a recommended tracking force range of 1.1 to 1.4 grams. Wilson Benesch recommends an optimum operating temperature of 23 degrees Celsius and a 30-hour break-in period. Michael Fremer, writing in The Absolute Sound, noted that the Tessellate Ti-S "produced the best sound I've heard from vinyl records of every musical genre," a statement that speaks to the cartridge's combination of sapphire's inherent musicality and Wilson Benesch's engineering precision.

The Ti-S sits between the Tessellate Ti-B, which offers the range's entry point with a boron cantilever and elliptical stylus, and the Tessellate Ti-D, the flagship with a diamond cantilever for the ultimate in transient speed and low-level resolution. All three cartridges pair naturally with the Wilson Benesch Graviton Ti tonearm and the Wilson Benesch GMT ONE System turntable.

Three Finish Options

The Tessellate Ti-S is available in Matt Titanium, which retains the raw texture of the SLS manufacturing process; Polished Silver, featuring a hand-polished mirror finish; and Polished Gold, with a vapor-deposited gold coating over the hand-polished surface. All finishes are purely aesthetic with no impact on acoustic performance.

THE LISTENING ROOM DIFFERENCE

Wilson Benesch cartridges are engineered as part of an integrated analog system. Getting the tonearm match, phono stage pairing, and loading settings right makes all the difference in what you hear, and that's exactly why we consult with every cartridge buyer before purchase to make sure the setup is right from the start.

We're a third-generation family business with a brick-and-mortar showroom in Chestertown, Maryland. Our reputation is built on exceptional service, trust, and a passion for hi-fi. Whether you're visiting in person or ordering online, we bring decades of experience, personalized service, and honest guidance to every interaction. We don't just ship boxes. We help build systems, answer your questions like real humans, and make sure every detail of your setup is right, from the cables to the final connection. Our passion is helping you get the most out of your gear, with support that lasts well beyond the sale.

Wilson Benesch Tessellate Ti-S Specifications