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ZYX Ultimate with carbon fiber cantilevers -- listener reviews?

Dear listeners,
Any "early adopters"/owners of the new ZYX cartridges that now use carbon fiber (instead of boron) for their cantilevers? If yes, would you please share your impressions and/or comparisons?
Thanks and happy listening,
Harvey
unchilled
thaluza's avatar
thaluza
285 posts
 
Lewm -

Doug Deacon's review did not say the Universe was "decidedly" better than the 4D. Instead, the essence of his post is that the 4D (also known as the Atmos) might be preferred by rockers, and the Universe preferred by classical music listeners. He also wrote that he could see jazz lovers preferring either cartridge, depending on listening taste.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/review-zyx-atmos-x-sb-low-output-cartridge

I own a 4D. I am very pleased with it. My next cartridge I think will be a Universe II or Universe Premium. I would be skeptical about getting the Ultimate version because of reasons stated in this thread.
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Mehran @sorasound is really is a great guy to do business with. No regrets.

that's for sure
lewm
13,100 posts
 
thaluza, Mea culpa. Without having searched for Doug's review of the 4D (Atmos) vs the Uni, I do believe you are correct, in essence.  Your description of his review does ring a bell, now you mention it.
vindanpar
58 posts
 

If people have 15K as loose change in their pocket and are getting a finer product I don't see why there is any problem. If you have the money there is none.

I worked for a luxury Italian house years ago and women were paying $1,600 for a handbag instead of one for $30 at Penney's and like they say about watches they did the same thing. And if you wanted a truly magnificent handbag that was a work of art you'd pay 26k.

Not to mention the men's Ferrari red alligator driving shoes(literally only for driving or they would wear out in no time) that 10 years ago cost 4k. They truly were astonishing to behold.

I have found that the Lyra Atlas and the Universe Premium when I've heard them are truly works of art.

If you can't afford a painting by Rembrandt you simply don't buy it. And in the world of audio these things are at that kind of level. You might consider the price absurd but then so is the cost of a Rembrandt.


lewm
13,100 posts
 
Vindanpar, "Nice", I can understand when applied to a pair of shoes, but "astounding"? Nah.  Ferrari's can be astounding but not shoes to wear while driving them.  I don't think the price of a Rembrandt is analogous to the price of a high end cartridge.  One is a solid investment as a collector's item.  The other is a rapidly depreciating guilty pleasure that deteriorates at a rate proportional to the hours of pleasure it produces for the listener.  Only to be replaced in the public's affection by the inevitable next new model.  This is not to say that there is anything wrong with that.  I'm all for it when the excellence is really there to be heard.
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