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Lyra Delos Stylus Replacement Options

I just bought a pre-owned Lyra Delos MC carty, advertised to have only 150 hours of time on it. My spinner is a VPI Classic TT. Installation was a snap and I am enjoying the Delos. I think it's a solid grade above my old carty, the Soundsmith Zephyr. Not in another league mind you, but a grade better in transparency, imaging and bass slam.

My Q is really directed to members who own the Delos. What is the useful life of the stylus, 1500hrs to 2000hrs?? When the useful life of stylus is expended, what are the options for stylus or cantilever replacement and cost?

As an aside, the nice thing about the Zephyr is that Peter Ledermann retips the stylus for only $150. I'm already on my 2nd stylus retip. Peter also inspects the cantilever and suspension when he does the retip. So far, all has been well with the those parts.

Thanks,

Bruce
bifwynne
chipcarterdc
22 posts
 
I'm considering both the Zephyr and the Delos as my next cart for my VPI Classic 1. Currently running an Ortofon 2M Black. Not to take the conversation off course, but would you mind briefly sharing your experiences with both in a bit more detail?

In particular, would you say that one is "warmer/richer" than the other?
bifwynne OP
2,206 posts
 
Chip, I think the Delos is a better sounding carty than the Zephyr from the perspective of bass slam, bass definition, transparency, imaging and ability to extract details out of the grooves. But having said that, the Zephyr is a very, very fine cartridge at its price point of $1K, which is $650 less than the Delos.

You asked about which carty is warmer/richer. I suppose the Zephyr wins out there, but only because the Delos possesses the attributes I listed above. Given the choice between just the two carties, I'd go for the Delos, at least based on my initial impressions of listening for 3 or 4 days.

Btw, I own the VPI Classic 2.5 (check my system description). Both cartridges are a good match with the Classic tonearm. When I tried the Ortofon 2M Black several years ago, I didn't have much luck in setting it up. For some reason, I think it has a compliance factor of 22 or more, which makes it a tough match with the VPI tonearm. The VPI is really best suited for low and medium compliance carties.
wntrmute2's avatar
wntrmute2
188 posts
 
What's with the "carty" thing. Is it like "vinyls"?
dhcod
710 posts
 
My Delos, which I sold recently as part of downsizing, had about 1000 hours and still sounded like new. I think with the Lyra's it's easy to expect 2000 hours. I had two Lyras before the Delos and they both lasted 3-4 years which for me is about 2000 hours. JCarr has said in the past you can retip his cartridges at Soundsmith or other places and it might sound good but it won't sound like the cartridge that you used to have..
bifwynne OP
2,206 posts
 
Dhcod, can Lyra retip the cartridge with a new stylus if the cantilever and suspension are otherwise intact? Any idea about cost and down time in the shop?

Wntrmute2, get with the lingo Dude. LOL ;>')
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