Transfiguration Orpheus - Has anyone tried it ?

No, no, no !!! It's your responsibility to buy all the same stuff I do, if you as impressed as all that. No exceptions. Thanks for the clarification, though.

The job of being Larry's best friend is already taken.

Sorry guys.

I doubt if I could find the '62 gloss hardwoods,and original finish.Besides those suckas are heavy.I really don't have the same desire to constantly upgrade as I did some years ago.That's one reason I really like your set-up,and "audio mentality".I can identify with your decision to update/modify what you like,and build a really good/unique system to suit your tastes.Not the advertising hype!That's where I'm at these days.I like the idea of having a very well thought out,modded/updated system,that is unique to me.Not that I'm necessarily correct,but that's how I go about things,in my old age!BTW-the best set-ups I've heard,and I have heard a ton,are by serious hobbyists who like a specific combination of stuff,and set about refining that stuff.There are a load of different sounding,but fabulous systems out there.I love them all!!

Yet,I like having a very desireable,diverse music collection,above all!

Good luck with your wonderful hobby!

Best!

SirSp. -- Thanks, you very perceptively pulled my approach right out of my subconscious! I really fell into my mahogany K's, which are very pretty, by buying them as the third owner from a friend over 20 years ago. I think I eventually found out why the previous two sold them: see the Klipsch Forum thread, on restoring the normal bass horn throat in these babies: http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/thread/350047.aspx.

Comments on the Orpheus in a day or two! Is Roy still around?

Gary -- No, according to Sir's definition, I'M YOUR "best friend" -- I sometimes buy spendy stuff and then you get to pick and choose what to look for on Audiogon!

Best, all --

OK, troops, I've put about 12 hours on the new Orpheus, and am ready to give my opinions. I wanted to give it a good break-in and be sure, because recommending a $2,550 (Tommy from Apb3400c@aol.com) to $5,000 (full retail price) cartridge to folks is a serious responsibility. Incidentally, I tried e-mailing Roy who started this thread, but it bounced back and the website in his e-address isn't active. Maybe he'll peek in again soon.

I am very -- extremely -- positive about the Orpheus! Let me give you some background re my Temper V, and then what I hear in this cart. I first looked into getting a new cart because my V began to have funny things happen to it. It was originally a demo, and although it was supposed to be OK, the cantilever looked a little deviated to the LP's inside. Over the approx. year I've had it, it seemed to gradually lose its accuracy and, more important, musicality. Friend Gary (gdpowers who posted above; I'm the "best" friend, though, according to sirspeedy) thought so, too.

So, I decided to look at getting a new one vs. a retip, and was told about the Orpheus for the first time. It was at that point that I Googled up this forum and thread -- a GREAT find! I mention all this in order to be clear that MY comparison of the Orpheus and the V in its present state would obviously be flawed. It would have to be with how I (and Gary) remembered how great the V sounded a year ago. Well...it always seemed to exaggerate record scratch a bit, so it might not have been a perfect cart even then.

But, by and large, I'm really very sure that my comments below are a fair comparison, since I've listened to a few Transfigurations over the years and Gary has a Temper that he likes and so does everyone who hears it.

The Orpheus really stands out every time I hear it, and I've really gone back to listening to a lot of my LPs including some I haven't listened to for a long time because they didn't sound that good. ALL of them sound good, now. I hear the following:
- A great increase in clarity AND instrumental accuracy, all the way down into the bass
- A considerably more powerful bass than I've had with any other cart including the V
- A quieter background, like the signal-to-noise ratio has been improved. I didn't think a cart would do that, but there you have it IMO.
- The timbre or tone-quality of instruments is better, especially of string sections. Strings tend to get steely on Klipschorns, even with tube equipment, and the softer, more individually parsed-out sound of violins has been quite a pleasant surprise. It still probably isn't like great cone speakers, but then those aren't always that realistic in woodwind and brass reproduction, either.
- Record scratch is nicely minimized, more than my seemingly flawed V anyway, but also compared with that from Clearaudios and Benz's that I experienced. I myself am convinced that it the record noise is as good as it's going to be. I haven't tried any tracking tests yet (I will), but no big problems so far.

So, as you can see, I'm enthusiastic, though I really hope for more reviews, since only one can be misleading. I'd be glad to demo it if any of this group is in the DC area.

One interesting new thing (for me) in the installation instructions: to initially set the tracking force at 0.2 gm until most of the alignment is done. A great idea.

Lemme know if you have any questions.

Larry