@tzh21y @rossb
I owned a Clavis for a few years before shearing off the stylus. Had it redone by Soundsmith but found it lost its magic. I traded for a Delos which I still have and like but I did prefer the pre-Soundsmith Clavis to the Delos. I felt it was more natural - less etched.
A few months ago I got the itch again and bought a Van den Hul Black Beauty Special X. To me and in my system, there is no comparison between the VDH and the Delos. The VDH has as much or more upper end extension without the etched sound of the Delos. And the VDH midrange is far richer than the leanness I hear from the Delos. By far the most impressive thing I hear from the VDH is its ability to bring the recording venue into your room. I've never heard a cartridge with the "air" the VDH Black Beauty presents.
This may not be a fair comparison. The VDH Black Beauty SPX is over twice the price of the Delos. I Don't by any means want to trash the Delos. At its price point it digs a lot of music from vinyl.
I differ with some who think the Delos has a tipped up top end. I think it's top end extension is its strong point. Rather what I hear is an exaggeration in the upper mid range which gives horns and strings the "etched" sound many don't care for. In a "soft" system this may be additive but in a neutral or SS system it just sounds bright.
Regarding the difference you hear between old originals and reissues, stay away from any reissue label that does not use the original master tapes. With the the change in EU copyright law there is a lot of trash coming out of Europe which claims to be audiophile on 180 gm vinyl. In reality most of that stuff is "mastered" from a cd. Stick with labels like Pure Pleasure, the newer MFSLs, and Analog Productions. To my ear Chad at Analog productions is doing the best job of anyone with reissues. He is very pricey but his mastering is superb.
