Would be interesting to check into. Since 10g is on the moderate side and 20g is quite heavy it is not always a matter of ' can the counterweight balance it'. On the heavier side lies a number of interesting carts; Anna ( as you mention ) Phasemation, Ikeda, Sensitive Sound etc.
Suggestions to upgrade from Lyra Delos
Greetings again folks:
I've done a bunch of tweaking and fiddling with my Thorens TD124 including a new arm (Jeff Spall), Audio Silente bushings and other minor things. I love my Delos in general, but I feel like it's missing something. It's very detailed, fast, tight bass, good channel separation and soundstage (in general, feels a bit compressed front to back) but I feel like I'm missing that 'thing.' Of course it could just be perception on my part, but I don't have much to compare with so that is the intent of this thread.
The rig:
Thorens TD124 Mk1 w/Mk II mods
Jeff Spall (Audiomods UK) Tonearm,v6
Lyra Delos, with Microridge stylus (original, not rebuilt)
Hagerman Audio Labs Trumpet MC (Loaded at 110 Ohms)
Stax SRM-007T Headphone Amp with Stax Lambda Nova Signature headphones
I'd like to stay under $5K as well and would prefer a similar cost to the Delos ($2K) if possible, but willing to invest more in a different experience if that experience is better.
I realize this is a highly subjective ask. I would appreciate responses from those that have gone from or to a Delos and what you went to / from. I'm certainly considering the Kleos or a used Etna (if I can find one in the price range) but again, would like to try another direction to experience a broader range of sound signatures.
Thank you, in advance, for any suggestions.
I've done a bunch of tweaking and fiddling with my Thorens TD124 including a new arm (Jeff Spall), Audio Silente bushings and other minor things. I love my Delos in general, but I feel like it's missing something. It's very detailed, fast, tight bass, good channel separation and soundstage (in general, feels a bit compressed front to back) but I feel like I'm missing that 'thing.' Of course it could just be perception on my part, but I don't have much to compare with so that is the intent of this thread.
The rig:
Thorens TD124 Mk1 w/Mk II mods
Jeff Spall (Audiomods UK) Tonearm,v6
Lyra Delos, with Microridge stylus (original, not rebuilt)
Hagerman Audio Labs Trumpet MC (Loaded at 110 Ohms)
Stax SRM-007T Headphone Amp with Stax Lambda Nova Signature headphones
I'd like to stay under $5K as well and would prefer a similar cost to the Delos ($2K) if possible, but willing to invest more in a different experience if that experience is better.
I realize this is a highly subjective ask. I would appreciate responses from those that have gone from or to a Delos and what you went to / from. I'm certainly considering the Kleos or a used Etna (if I can find one in the price range) but again, would like to try another direction to experience a broader range of sound signatures.
Thank you, in advance, for any suggestions.
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- 28 posts total
I have run the Audiomods tonearm in a Platine Verdier. It is a great arm for the money, a giantkiller, but in my view it is not a top arm. In my view you should stick to medium compliance cartridges for this arm - Van den Hul & Dynavector moving coils tend to medium compliance, or Soundsmith moving iron medium compliance version. I would not run heavy low compliance MC's in this arm if you want the best result. |
I am a fan of Lyra cartridges. I own a Titan, although these days a Transfiguration Orpheus L resides in my tonearm. Lyra cartridges have a open, and nimble sound, which is not as harmonically rich and dense sounding as something like Koetsu cartridges. If you want to hear something quite different, try something like the Koetsu Rosewood cartridge. The downside to the Koetsu is that it will not sound as detailed, and nimble and it will not track quite as well as the Lyra, A cartridge that I really like, because it sounds very vivid and immediate, without being harsh or thin sounding, is the Audio Technica ART 1000. This is the one I would buy if I were in the market for a new cartridge. |
Dear @dducat : I see two options as an up grade your system. One is to change the phono stage for a better one and stay with the Delos ( byw, this cartridge is not " compressed " as you say, this characteristic could be happening in other link of your system. ) and the other could be to buy this AT MC cartridge: https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/at-art9xa Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
@rauliruegas: I didn't say that the entire thing was compressed - just the front/back soundstage. I'm not sure what would be wrong with the phono preamp here - it's a very clean circuit, one 12AU7 and two 12AX7s per channel, and at the moment, all are vintage Telefunken. I've got it very low loaded and a decent amount of gain, so I don't think it's really the phono preamp (I mean, I guess it could be). If I had my druthers, I'd get a Herron VTPH-2A but well, that's probably not going to happen any time soon. I do appreciate the suggestion on the at-art9xa. I hadn't really thought of that cart as a serious comparison but it's certainly something I will look into as well. @larryi - thanks for the suggestion on the ART 1000. I'll look into it. @dover - I'm curious what a top arm would be in the price range of the audiomods arm? I figured I would have go $5K or more for a better arm which wasn't in the cards (and still isn't). @solypsa - I'm fairly confident the arm can handle pretty much anything you throw at it. While I don't know that it would handle an extremely low compliance heavy cart well, there are additional cartridge mounting plates as well as counter weight discs that you can swap or add so I suspect that even for the heaviest, lowest compliance carts, there's a solution. Whether that's going to produce the best sound possible out of the combo needs further examination, I guess. |
- 28 posts total