Todd, thank you for sharing your experience with your gimbaled Fatboy. I hope my results are as good as yours.. I’ll listen for the qualities you describe when the Lyra Kleos cartridge finally arrives. The Fatboy is already at the dealer who’ll be doing the installation and set-up once it does. I’m not going to attempt to set it up with my current cartridge first.
I looked into the Soundsmith Pau you have but it was unfortunately not compatible with my Luxman’s 507uX Mk2’s integrated amp’s built in phono stage setting. VPI indicated the Lyra Kleos wihich does match would by compatible. I read VPI has used Lyra carts to demo products at shows.
I hear you on the issue of not trusting your hands when placing and removing the tonearm/cart on a record. I hate that process too, as I notice a decrease in fine motor control at age seventy. Taking the arm off a record after it is done playing is much less nerve wracking though since I acquired a "Little Fwend" tonearm lift.
Mike