Dear Sir5speedy: Like you ( I like everything almost perfect but I'm not obsessed about. I like to have time to enjoy the music ) I'm " always " looking for a " tweaks/up-grade " for to have a better quality music reproduction ( btw, you have to try the V-caps in all your audio items. Recomended !!! ). But I'm very " lucky " about because till today, during the voicing after the up-grade , I never have the necessity to do a change in the cartridge mounting parameters ( exception when I change a tonearm/cartridge combination ) and always could " know " for sure if that " up-grade/tweak " was really an improvement and enjoy it or not.
+++++ " Raul,based on my initial question,and your honest response to me,I can surmise that it isn't really fair for you to dismiss the ZYX UNIV cartridge( " +++++
I respect you point of view and here I remember what you already post on this thread:
+++++ " the hobby,and equally extensive experience gives him the confidence to make these statements.We,others ,on the otherhand,are free to NOT agree,and Raul is equally free to offer his opinions.Some will be correct,and some not. " +++++
Your final statements on your last post are a universal ones and there are more issues to add about. But what tell me those statements ?: that we can't do any statement over any subject because there are too many differents " issues " between two peoples and between two audio systems ? . Come on Sirspeedy !!!!!
+++++ " since they spent their own money on it ... " +++++
Sirspeedy I know that . Larry, Doug or any other happy ZYX owner my next statements/subjects/issues about ZYX has nothing to do with any " bad feeling " from my part to any of you or any one and it's only an effort trying to help and " be better ":
- +++++ " is that " rush into " ZYX like a " child with a new toy ", " +++++
I think that this " fast track " attitude has a lot to " see " with what happen with the ZYX owners:
- there are many forms for to choose an alternative ( any audio item ) for to buy audio items, mine is a very long research process to take a decission: first I do a deep research about the builder/designer: who are they? where they come? for how many time on the subject? why I should buy their audio item ?, etc... Second, I do deep research too through differents dealers that carry the audio item and others similars for to know their opinions about. Third, I do a research through as many proffesional reviews as I can find, reading " between lines " for to know about. Fourth, I try to have a " live experience " ( my own system ) with it but if I could not, then I try to " heard " at a friend's system or directly with the dealer. Fifth, I ask to owners of the audio item. Sixth, I do a differents forums research about. etc...
Maybe all of you do the same " long track " process for make your decissions. My impression is that many of you are on the " fast track " ZYX alternative: why I think in this way?, well every time that I do a " simple " question, about " your " : " the best cartridge in the world " ZYX statement, that if you already compare the ZYX cartridges against the long list of excellent cartridges that I categorically post that beats the ZYX ones, the " silent " answer is NO.
Now, I'm not against the " fast track " attitude, it's not my money it's yours, I'm only trying to help that's all.
Btw, in the time I buy many audio items with the " fast track " attitude and in almost all there were a mistake because I buy the wrong audio item.
My last " fast track " was the Shelther 901: I buy this cartridge " only " with a fast research in this forum about the 501 and the 901. At that time all the the forum opinions about the 901 were " awesome ", so I buy it.
My first " hearing " impressions with the 901 were really great, but after a month ( more or less ) I could identify some problems with the performance of this cartridge till I have to put on sale and sold immediatly. I buy the 90X.
At that time I was the first people in the forum to post anything against the 901: " a hi-fi " cartridge or something like that, immediatly the " 901 club " people " fight with me because my post.
Two months latter that " same people " agree with me.
+++++ " didn't see a UNIV in your collection.. " +++++
Till today the ZYX can't belong in my collection. When any ZYX will be on target with the excellent performance of " others " top cartridges you can be sure that I will have that ZYX in my system. I remember you that this " hobby " is an extremely important subject on my life, nothing less.
Now, I'm not the only one that thinks that the " ZYX is not the best... ": I already post this on other thread:
- One person ( Walker TT, Wilson, Atmasphere, etc.. ) put on sale his Colibri through the Agon classifieds, trying to help I send a e-mail asking why he puts on sale the Colibri and buy the ZYX. He explain that the ZYX was better on..., on..., on... and on... that the Colibri. I give him my advise and he return the Colibri to Vandenhul for a check up. When the Colibri come back to his system, he was really happy with and hands down his ZYX cartridge easily. He gime me " tks " for my Colibri insistence.
Again regarding the " fast track " attitude. I think that all of us " other(experienced)hobbyists! " , like you say, have a great responsibility in this forum for to help to others people to take good " decissions " ( if they take it or not, that's another history ). The ZYX " fast track " attitude approach to an incredible post like this one:
+++++ " I have recently been through a search for a new cartridge. I cannot listen to anything anywhere near my home, since I live in the middle of nowhere. I have been talking to several fellow music lovers and narrowed my search to a couple of cartridges including some of the Benz and ZYX models. Based on what I have heard from ZYX owners, these cartridges outperform many cartridges costing more and having great reputations. " +++++
This person never heard the ZYX cartridge but " based " on what others " heard " he do the statement that the ZYX " outperform MANY cartridges costing more... etc..
What happen when not so experienced people read this " fast track " opinion ? Do you think that this kind of audiogon-forum post really help to anyone?
I'm sure it helps: for take wrong desicions for buying the wrong audio item, when out there are many alternatives that could help that that people could be really happy and not thinking if their choose really was the best one at that time.
No, Sirspeedy I think that I don't do a favor to anyone " telling him " what he " wants " to hear. We can do a " favor " when we tell what we know or think we know is the true or nearest to the true about. We can be wrong but we have to " say " it.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
