Cartridge options going forward

To your point palasr - another consideration that has really worked in my system is my second Ortofon - a cadenza black.  My first was a Jubliee which provided years of good playback.

The Cadenza Black mounted on my Vector 4 is as good or better SQ than the more than twice expensive Transfiguration Proteus which bit the dust after 500 hours and also went out of biz at the same time.

Not sure I will ever buy a 5+K cartridge again after spending the last year with CB - also not likely to go OOB.

I have cognitive dissonance thinking that an elderly Japanese gentleman is the last living repository of such skill and knowledge. What - when he dies, Lyra effectively goes out of business?

You have no idea what you’re talking about. Mr. Jonathan Carr is younger than most of you and contribute on this forum from time to time with valuable information you can’t find anywhere, he’s a cartridge designer. What is really strange is to send Lyra to someone else for rebuild pretending for upgrade in sound.
Different cartridge is always a good idea, we like many cartridges, not just one from any particular brand, except for people who does not have much experience with cartridges.

Refurbished Lyra is not the Lyra anymore, once someone else replaced cantilever or even stylus tip with something with different mass/size etc.

Thanx Chakster. Always send your cartridge back to the original manufacturer if  you want to be assured of the cartridges performance. In the case of the Lyra it can even be upgraded. 
Like mtwilke I hate being without a working turntable. Having at least two functional cartridges is a good idea in case one of them goes down. 

mtwilke, other choices besides the Winfeld Ti are; the Clearaudio Stradavari V2, van den Hul Frog Gold,  Kiseki Purpleheart,and the EMT Pure Lime. I personally lean towards the Ortofon but you cannot go wrong with any of these. 

Dear @mtwilke :  Your tonearm is a good tonearm but not for the Etna level because that knife bearing. Designer Sao Win ( TT, tonearm and cartridges. ) puts a warning in the cartridge top of the line manual ( I owned that great cartridge. ):

" don't use knife bearing tonearm designs with this cartridge ( LOMC. ) "

So you can do it better with the SME V ( very good match. I owned 3 Lyras with including the Kleos. ), Kuzma 4Point, Triplanar or Reed and there are other good options about.

The other important and critical issue is the phono stage, yours has a way higher  inverse RIAA eq. deviation with a swing of 0.5db this certainly is not what deserves the Etna and you.

You can take a look for Ayre, SimsAudio, Pass labs and other in that league.

Now, forgeret about re-tippers the only one is Lyra. I don't think that a Rolex or Cartier owner send to fix his watch to a " re-tipper ": Do you?

When you send to Lyra ask for the SL version, the low output that is a little better. In the mean time give a listen to the ART 9XA and latter on you can sale very easy.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

raul

" Btw, @elliottbnewcombjr you have no idea about the quality performance of cartridges like the Etna levels."

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I’m simply saying: channel specs as well as magic need to be combined.

your suggestion, shibata on boron

https://www.audio-technica.com/en-gb/cartridges/line-series/art-series/at-art9xa

my example (not a suggestion for OP), microline on boron

https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/cartridges/line-series/at33-series/at33ptg-2

IF they has an SAS version, I might have chosen that, but extra cost/extra life would need to make sense for me.
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you are very right, and somewhat wrong.

mine solely an example of desired features: strong channel separation for improved imaging and tight channel balance for very solid phantom center image as well as consistent frequency response within range and locked in balance l/r for large orchestras ....

separation/balance specs of your suggestion and my example are the same, internals, body material, body threads differ as well as the stylus shape choice. Me hear any difference? I seriously doubt it.

I didn’t mention it, but I also have preferred range of both tracking force, and signal strength. And, proven better or not, I will not go beyond the stiffness of boron. AT seems to agree with me. I had/fartted in Beryllium’s general direction/looked sideways at/broke my Beryllium Shure V15VxMR stylus,
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you are Very Right:

I have never owned or had prolonged experience with high end cartridges,

My top choices over the years have been/are Shure V15VxMR (now with new Jico SAS on boron); AT440ml (currently on my office TT), my first MC the AT33ptg-2 linked above, ML on boron; Shure 97xme my favorite elliptical; and current Grado Mono.

New AT MC moved the Shure to second place primarily because of it’s wider separation and tighter channel balance, easily revealed by my often recommended tracks with 3 guitarists, Eurythmics, Cassandra Wilson, ...

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you are Somewhat Wrong (I do have ’some idea’):
(below: the lady doth protest too much)

Not to prove, just to let you know more about me when you read my opinions hither and thither.

I have heard many stratosphere cartridges for long listening sessions/evaluations: wealthy audiophile friends; wealthy client friends (I designed Corporate Office Headquarters), including deep pocket enthusiasts from Columbia House, CBS, Sony, and many others, some I helped assembled complete systems.

Not cartridges, but related experience: I worked with several AV consultants designing AV systems for my client’s Boardrooms, Auditoriums, conference/dining rooms, present for evaluations/refinements with professional sound meters. My friend came to my past and current house with pro sound meter a few times when I changed things around.

Electrovoice engineers (still in NYC then), my AV friend, and I designed my new enclosures together for my 3 way speakers (all electrovoice drivers from 1958:15" woofer, horn mid, horn high)

I worked in NYC for more than 40 years, 18 on 44th street, between 5th and 6th avenue. Leonard Radio, in it’s high end days in my building (old Hammond organ showroom I helped them renovate). I cut thru a building mid block, onto 45th street Audio Row, NYC, Harvey’s in it’s heyday. A lot of my equipment over the years (and many pieces on semi-permanent loan to friends) came from Harvey’s used shelf. My friend at Harvey’s would call me when something nice taken in trade came was coming out of the service dept for sale. My friends would have time to listen for long periods, then suggest I hear .... TT, cartridges, primarily speakers.

Read magazines like a fiend, reviews, head for Sound by Singer (both locations) (I did not like Andy’s attitude), Park Avenue Audio (also snooty), .... went to the great audio shows in NYC when/if controlled listening sessions could be contrived.
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My take on the pricey stuff: If it makes you happy each and every time you look at, approach, use it, know about it’s superior ......, your emotional state is primed for an enhanced experience. A compromise will always sound like a compromise IF you think you are not getting ......
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Relative Importance of Cartridge:

After achieving a very reveling and involving system, including speakers you will never replace.

A phono stage you would never think needs changing.

IF MC, I think SUT to that phono stage best (but I have only done that).

TT: Plinth, Location; Spinner; Arm(s); Arm length(s), Arm features; and especially personally acquired alignment tools/skills must come first.

Then, put what on the end of the stick?