Need to re-discover analog - please help

Fine responses by all the above. I probably have more experience with the ZYX lineup than some others. In the past year I've had the Airy 2, Airy 3, two UNIverses and one non-released model in my system. (Helping Mehran of SORAsound evaluate his product line.)

ZYX's are mid-compliance cartridges, so they're a fine theoretical match for JMW's and other medium mass arms. I've heard them on a Graham 2.2, TriPlanar VII and the Schroeder Two, DPS and Reference. People say they perform well on a Moerch DP-6, Nottingham Space Arm and other arms too. ZYX's are somewhat exacting as far as setup is concerned, so an easily adjusted arm helps. Once set up however, they do not place difficult demands on the arm, which some lower compliance cartridges do.

I'll disagree with Lugnut's otherwise excellent recommendations when it comes to the performance differences between ZYX models. In a sufficiently revealing system the differences are very significant.

There is no doubting the overall superiority of the Airy 3 over the Airy 2. The former's greater speed and dynamics are apparent in just a few moments. I could easily identify one from the other blindfolded in my own system after a minute or two. The Airy 2 has a slightly richer harmonic envelope, but that cannot quite make up for its relative slowness, at least to my ears.

The UNIverse is so far beyond both Airys it renders comparisons meaningless. If the rest of your rig and system are up to it, its ability to transport you right into the acoustic space where the music was recorded is uncanny. As Lugnut said, a UNIverse on an appropriate rig will bury your Meitner. IOW, if you don't want to risk obsoleting your digital source and collection then don't listen to one. Once you hear it there is no going back.

Pair a UNIverse with a TriPlanar VII for the quickest attacks. Pair it with a Schroeder Reference for a richer harmonic envelope. Which is "better" is a matter of taste - I suspect most people would prefer the Schroeder/UNIverse combo. None of the other arms I've heard it on compare with those two for best synergy with ZYX's top model.

Well, amongst the plethora of great equipment suggestions(of which, I am unqualified to comment), there are two big ones that I do have experience with - dealing with Mehran of Sorasound and Larry at Hollywood Sound.

Like you, I am a returning newbie to vinyl and just bought my first system over the last few months. I just bought a ZYX Fuji FS from Mehran last week and as been mentioned above, he is one of the nicest, most thorough, and patient people I have ever dealt with in audio.

He listened to all my beginner thoughts and questions, then walked me through the important aspects of tonearm/cartridge interaction. He never tried to force or even push a sale, just offered advice and suggested I think about it. I must have waffled back and forth several times before plucking out $1k of my hard earned money on a slightly used Fuji. He has checked back in with me since then to see how things are coming along, and with setup suggestionsfor tools and test records I will need to get things right. He just goes that extra mile to make sure YOU are happy with the cartridge.

I also contacted Larry at Hollywood Sound months ago about buying tables after seeing his ads here on Audiogon. He also listened to all my newbie questions and then helped steer me towards choices that best fit my budget and experience. Nothing special there, but guess what?

He turned down a guaranteed sale(I called ready to buy) to suggest that I buy a table from a reputable dealer near me who could help with setup and support. He even supplied a couple of names.

How often does a dealer turn down a "sure thing" to suggest better support from someone else?

Two great guys - Mehran & Larry, you can't go wrong with either of them.

Doug,

I don't disagree with you. If you read my post I said my cartridge enjoys "most" of the performance aspects of the better ZYX cartridges and I stand behind that opinion. I didn't say it equals them. Pick any two very highly regarded interconnects that work well with this system and there will be much more audible differences with them than within the ZYX cartridge line IMO. Also, let's note that you listen almost exclusively to orchestral music whereas I listen to all music genre's. You have been invited to drop by and listen for yourself to determine if my system is resolving enough. What I was trying to recommend are components that wouldn't be replaced because of disappointment but would endure through their useful life at a price point that didn't exceed the Meitner gear.

All of the above have been great comments. Dougdeacon is clearly our most knowledgable contributor on the ZYX cartridges. I've not heard one, I have heard from a few folks whose ears I trust (in additon Doug) that the ZYX Airy and above are really nice sounding cartridges that have a nice balance of strengths. I have a bias towards medium output cartridges in the 0.34mv range and above because I prefer all tube amplification in the phono stage and have never been happy with the transformer solution many find acceptable. I think there are versions of the ZYX available as medium output. If your interests push you up to the $4000 price range, I'm still very fond of the Magic Diamond cartridge Lloyd Walker sells, and Harry Weisfeld has been very complimentary of the Dynavector DRT XV-1s.

For a phono stage, I'd recommend you go directly to an Aesthetix Rhea. Used Rhea units are available in the $3000 range, and they are fully balanced from the first gain stage forward (so they will accept a standard RCA input from your turntable), and they have a 600 ohm balanced output impedance so they are a perfect match for your MP-1. The Rhea will be a nice complement to the rest of your system and will give you sonic performance in that same realm of performance. There have been several reviews of the Rhea in the various mags, here's a link to Robert Harley's comments in the TAS issue in which the Rhea and Calypso received "Editor's Choice" awards: http://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter/151/calypso.html
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Patrick,
Didn't mean to start a tussle of course. I was just responding to your statement that,

The Fuji and Universe are better but not by much to my ears.

Your experience is not my experience, that's all. In our system and to our ears the differences between ZYX models are greater than (and quite different from) the differences between interconnects. You're right that these differences are more easily exposed by large scale orchestral works, and even more so by large scale choral works. Chamber music, most jazz, jazz and pop vocals and rock are all a bit less demanding of a cartridge.

Of course I'd love to get out to Boise to see you again and meet Barbara, and to hear your system and Steve's. Unfortunately my present circumstances make scheduling a trip difficult.