Skala or Kleos?

Every Audiophile will have his own kind of rating, what fits for one, doesn't
for the next. I go for performance, to get the most information out of the
groove, others look for a "sound" which fits probably best for their
taste or the System in general. The Kleos is imo not the Highlight in
Performance, instead it is silent in the grooves and a good match for very
analytical sounding Systems. Nice to listen to but hardly the right one when you
want to know what the magic is about with Mercury Living Stereos. It has a
healthy output which is a good match for Phonostages with limited gain or
channel separation. Definitely more silent with noisy reissues than other Lyra
cartridges. I think, it is based on the diamond they use for it.
The Skala is better in overall Performance, based on its Body it is also not so
critical to Tonearms (energy transfer). Today we live in an era, where every new
products gets raves (... best sounding unit ever made, better than 3x so
expensive ones which were the Standard .... endless work inside... and so on). I
know owners which are very happy with it (until the next change is ready to go,
only then you can read what 'problems' the former one had ...). Overall I think,
the Skala is a very good cartridge which works very good in a wide range of Set
Ups.

Hi Syntax:

>Every Audiophile will have his own kind of rating, what fits for one, doesn't for the next.

This is often true.

>I go for performance, to get the most information out of the groove,

So do I.

>Nice to listen to but hardly the right one when you want to know what the magic is about with Mercury Living Stereos.

Perhaps in your system. Not in mine. Nor in other high-quality systems that I have played the Kleos.

>It (Kleos) has a healthy output which is a good match for Phonostages with limited gain or channel separation.

Although the Kleos has a healthy output, it is bit less than the Delos, and benefits more from a higher-quality phono stage.

>Definitely more silent with noisy reissues than other Lyra cartridges. I think, it is based on the diamond they use for it.

The Kleos and Skala use the same stylus shape. The lower noise floor of the Kleos is primarily due to how the body is designed, and the different damping system.

>The Skala is better in overall Performance.

In my experiences, the Skala can be more impressive in certain areas such as transient attack and macro dynamics. OTOH, the Kleos has better timbre, and a wider dynamic range overall.

The Delos, Kleos and Skala can all work very well in many systems, but of the three, I would say that the Kleos is the most versatile. Some listeners may very well prefer the Delos or Skala, but IME this is due to system compatibility and personal preference - not quality.

>Today we live in an era, where every new products gets raves (... best sounding unit ever made, better than 3x so expensive ones which were the Standard .... endless work inside... and so on).

Cynicism may be occasionally justified, but not when pragmatic logic dictates otherwise. Sales of lower-priced products earn a company less than equivalent-volume sales of its higher-priced models. Why would the company promote a cheaper new product unless it honestly feels that the performance is as-good or superior to its higher-priced models?

But if your promotional efforts help sustain Skala sales at a higher volume than Kleos sales, I'm certainly not going to complain! (grin)

hth, jonathan carr

... your promotional efforts help sustain Skala sales at a
higher volume than Kleos sales, I'm certainly not going to complain!

Well, I do not make any profit with any products, so I don't promote anything.
There are others who do it. And, I don't need it for a living... :-)
Will wait for Kleos i

I agree with Syntax, the Delos sounds amazing with earlier recordings such as Mercurys and RCA thats for sure.  

Perhaps this thread should have been titled Delos, Kleos, Skala or Just Lyra Cartridges. I have been a Lyra / ScanTec guy since 1988. I have been happy with everyone of them. Apparently, so is everyone else with their Lyra, in their system.

My Kleos is currently riding on my Technics SL1200G modded with Triplanar Classic SE tonearm. I am Happy with the performance.

The Lyra Cartridges can be a little too much of a good thing, especially before 100 hours. Better around the 200 hour mark. Even then ??

I am growing quite fond of my Dynavector XX2mkII on my Kuzma TT w/ 12" VTA arm. Maybe a XV1s or XV1t in the future.

Lyra cartridges are great. I like that they are Quiet in the groove; Something that I consider is one of their Hallmarks. Great tight bass, superior detail, imaging and sound staging, dynamics and Long Lasting; provided, No Oops moments and clean records. I do use the STP treatment about every 2nd or 3rd record.

I do like the smoother / warmer sound of the Dynavector. Depends on mood and time of day.

Who gives you an in home audition of any cartridge????? Anyone ????

Besides Needle Doctor, Music Direct, Acoustic Sounds, Elusive Disk ......

What B and M dealer stocks and doesn’t order from a distributor these days.

I live in Chicago with 5 dealers within a 1 hour drive of my house. More if I am ready to drive 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Music Direct is about 45 min drive and has four systems in one room with multiple tables. If they Know you and Know that you are serious "player" , They will do their best to help you. I would like to hear a VanDenHul Frog. Good Luck with that.

Enjoy your Lyra cartridge.