What innovative, unconventional cartridge designs can you recommend?

@audphile1 

So I had a wee feel last night, and the connectors feel very solid.  Maybe on the cheap (ha!) units, SoulNote do not include all their tricks.  The manual definitely mentions the 'floating' top panel.

To understand why they hypothesise (guess) that this is good, you first have to believe that vibrations affect the sound quality from at least some electronic components, and that the effect is not good!

Then it follows that the PCB these components are on should be protected as much as possible from vibrations, including from the very sound waves your system produces. So, let the PCB float on 3 pins inside a chassis that floats on 3 spikes.

Anecdotally, SoulNote noticed during product development that the lid was usually left off.  When they put the lid back on, they heard the sound quality get worse. Conclusion: More vibrational energy was reaching the PCB. Tightly coupling the lid to the chassis made for a more resonant structure than having the lid float.

My own thought experiment goes like this.  Imagine you are inside an empty steel shipping container, and somebody is hammering on the outside.  Now imagine you are in a tent being hammered.  Tent surfaces must be near the ultimate for de-coupling.

@audphile1 

Lol. You’re going to be fine

I am mindful that the shading plates attached just above the stylus are made of very thin beryllium.  In the atomic table, beryllium is the fourth lightest element after hydrogen, helium and lithium.  It is an alkaloid metal much lighter than aluminium but stiffer than mild steel and highly stable.  Of relevance to @lewm it is non-magnetic. But it is also very brittle, very very expensive, highly highly highly toxic and hard to fabricate.  Shure used if for some cantilevers in the V15 series.

I guess that's why the next element up, boron, now finds favour.

My DAC has some sort of vibration deadening material affixed to the inside of its lid. When I tap on it, it’s solid as hell. Not sure if they managed the PCB vibration or they just didn’t think it was needed. 
My integrated amp produces no resonance when you tap on front, back, top or sides. It’s like a tank. I don’t even think any vibration short of earthquake can impact it. 
Now turntable and cartridge is where the vibrations can creep in and mess us up. 
 

The approach Soulnote chose to use is definitely interesting and I admire it. Just another way to skin the cat. 
 

I’m curious to know what particular frequencies excite the phono stage chassis and PCB to impact the sound quality. I have no way to measure it though. 

@audphile1 

I’m curious to know what particular frequencies excite the phono stage chassis and PCB to impact the sound quality. I have no way to measure it though

I am just the poor interpreter / reporter here! 

SoulNote would probably say you are using your frequency brain.  Tapping is time dependent, not frequency dependent.

They would also say don't measure first, first use your ears.  Almost all easy measurements are in the frequency domain, but they say these, when optimised for frequency, are often detrimental to the real sound quality which is always in the time domain.

100% with you on turntable / cartridge resonances.  I often tap mine to see if my sorbothane hemispheres are calculated correctly, and / or are settling under 60-kgs load.  There's probably some mythical burn-in time for them, and they need to keep away from the Holbo's resonances!

Massive panels store energy for longer.  Lightweight panels dissipate it earlier (time domain brain).

I also find it interesting that SoulNote likes lightweight interconnects.  Obviously they are less likely to transmit resonances than stiff, heavy interconnects.

After all, our entire universe and everything in it resonates

So I had to ask ChatGPT do resonances affect the sound of electronic components

Unwanted Audio Effects (Noise)

Unintended resonances in electronic components or the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) itself can cause undesirable acoustic noise, often referred to as "coil whine" or "buzzing". 

• Component Vibration: Phenomena like the piezoelectric effect or magnetostriction can cause components (especially capacitors and inductors) to vibrate physically in response to oscillating electrical signals.
• Audible Noise: If these mechanical vibrations occur within the human hearing range, they can produce an annoying audible buzz or rattle, especially if the PCB or enclosure amplifies the vibration at its own natural frequency.
• Signal Interference: These vibrations can also be converted back into unwanted electrical signals (microphonics), which introduce noise and distortion into the audio output, subtly affecting the clarity and fidelity of the sound.