Gonna have to ditch the Soundsmith Carmen II

I have the Carmen II also. I use it with a Sota Saphire iv and Jelco arm. Along with a Manley Steehead phono Stage, there are none of the issues you have.

I have two Soundsmith cartridges-- The Hyperion and Paua and neither exhibit the slightest sibilance (other than the occasional bad LP-- and that's hardly the cartridge's fault). I use one on a SOTA belt drive table and the other on a Pioneer direct drive unit. I would also recommend calling Peter and letting him try to help you. Soundsmith offers excellent support. At least that's been my experience. 

I am also using a Soundsmith Sotto Voce cartridge and while I have some sibilance I think it is more the LP than the cartridge. In fact I am testing that theory this week with some known LP's to have sibilance..

Mr. Peter Ledermann is a gracious man, as I found out after purchasing an Aida Soundsmith Cartridge a few years ago. The preciseness of the diamond on these fine line cartridges do require precise alignment and a bit of tinkering to get tonearm and cartridge working together as a unit. Even with the majority of recordings sounding very musical, there seems that even with direct to disc master recordings, the sibilance is sometimes hot and these revealing cartridges are going to show up imperfections and also the recording techniques of the manufacturer, which is not the fault of the cartridge. Such detail and musicality are what we buy these cartridges for in the first place. 

If the sibilance is consistent on all recordings, I would say there is a problem in faulty alignment or a defect as mentioned in aforementioned posts. Regardless of the cartridge and associated equipment . . . this is still the reproduction of the real thing; however, some other specifications in other cartridges may be better suited to your sensitivities of sibilance and a compromise may have to be met. To another person, it may be another issue . . . hence, the reason there are so many products on the market with so many opposing points of view and always healthy discussions trying to prove that one person's opinion is much more valuable than another. But the bottom line is what you like and can live with as opposed to what the “experts” tell you that you SHOULD be listening to and what you should be hearing -- it doesn't work that way. Critiques and opinions are only guidelines as to what you personally can tolerate and what you actually enjoy. After all, you are the one paying for it -- you might as well be satisfied with what you live with despite how may “experts” you tick off. The hobby is a progression and a never-ending conquest to achieve, which is for some, more satisfying than the music they sit and sometimes listen to rather than the equipment.

This hobby should not be a war game nor a stress producer . . . rather, it should be fun, relaxing, enjoyable, and socially bonding -- not alienating. Have differences of opinion, of course . . . this is part of the human psyche, but do so in a respectful and good nature of learning, teaching, and sharing the music and the fun.

Well now after some critical listening today I learned as I suspected, the sibilance I was hearing was for sure the records in question. After making sure of all the parameters were spot on I changed the records and no more sibilance. I am very happy and satisfied with this cartridge and will probably never own anything but a Soundsmith cartridge after owning this one...