ZYX Omega or UNIverse?

Regarding the A90, based on one evening's hearing in an unfamiliar system I'd at least consider putting it on a similar plane to the UNIverse. It's one of only a few cartridges that Paul can listen to for any length of time. It's one we would have considered had we needed to switch.

From Paul, just staying to listen is high praise. 80-90% of audio components of any kind cause him to leave a room in pain, disgust or amusement. He'll virtually never say a component is good, unless it's a live Stradivarius, well-played. His tolerance for some audio system distortions is lower than anyone I know, most people can't even hear certain problems that cause him severe, physical pain. For him to listen to a component for hours without grimacing constitutes a strong recommendation. ;)

Doug: many thanks for your reflections. I just spoke with Mehran and I'm close to pulling the trigger on a UNIverse. They seem to be back in limited production, which is good for all.

I had the VAC in house briefly before some noise revealed itself in one channel of the phono stage--a capacitor jarred loose in shipping, apparently. It's now being repaired by VAC. My first impression, gleaned from merely two sides of an LP, was that I preferred it to the Steelhead but I'll need extended time to tell for sure. As a line stage the VAC is stunning. I finally understand what it means for the soundstage to be illuminated from within.

Best,
Bill

Glad to hear it (not about the capacitor of course!).

The downside is that to get all the way there, the UNIverse is hyper-critical about setup. You can get 70% of its capabilities very easily, it will never sound ugly. You can get 90% with a fair bit of work. To get the last 10%, the real magic, requires attentive listening and a willingness to work with it. Nor will yesterday's final tweak necessarily be optimal tomorrow. We've even tweaked from LP to LP and back, with audible improvements. It's rather like playing a fussy, acoustic instrument (or so I imagine, since I can't play anything fussier than a kazoo).

Enjoy!
Doug

I'm used to finicky. The Replicant stylus on the A90 is something of a spoiled cat, demanding and imperious but worth the effort to win over. As a general rule, where have you settled for VTF and VTA (relative to level) for your UNIverses?

I am using a VAC Sig 2 Preamp with an IO Signature phono with dual power supplies. The Universe sounds fantastic with this combo. I run it at 47K and weight about 1.95 grams.