ZYX Airy 3x/SB vs. Dynavector XV-1 or 1s

Weeeellll Siiiiiiiirrrrrssssspeeeeeedyyyyyyyy. Things are still going with the Cosmos and analog rig. I can't really say anything right now, but once everything is in place I will have exciting news to relay. I have not persued the umbilical cord at this point but it is not out of the question.

To add to Thom's fine point,while on the Phonostage subject,if we are speaking of tubed stages,there is alot to be gained in trying some really good NOS tube types.This,too,can affect bright/dark voicing which is SO easy to blame on other components.

I have a pal who spent really big bucks on 3 big name phono tubes.After repeated listenings to his set-up,my audio pals kept stating that it seemed as though listening to this SOTA set-up was like going to the dentist,and getting the drill.GNAWING!!

It would have been SO easy to blame the cartridge,speaker/amp interface,or cable choices,as this owner has a hard time admitting anything he spends big dollars on is NOT great.Yet,one night we decided to do some tube swapping,as he has a nice inventory of good tubes.Well the megabuckers were the culprit,and were sold fast!On Audiogon,btw.Hope non of you bought them!Now we no longer feel the need to have our molars checked,when listening.

BTW--We have just experimented in this exact set-up(which has very "high -line" equip.,btw)with the Walker SST contact enhancer(which has gotten great press),and have found that it adds a brightness to this set-up.This could be specific to this system,yet if my friend was NOT willing to do EVERY connection(tube pins too),and then wipe everything off(total job,12 hours),we could have easily blamed some other component,like a cartridge mismatch,for example.This is simply a good example of how many parameters can affect performance,with it being SO difficult to determine the culprit,unless one is privy to a really good/experienced audio group.My friend SID calls this symptom,correctly,"BOON-DOCK-ITIS"!!Or the inability to diagnose a problem due to living in the boon-docks(not close to other "philes!).Like me!

Moral of story--Go back to mid-fi,or take up a nice hobby,like tropical fish,unless you want to drive yourself crazy!!BTW-I have a nice 55 gallon tank for sale!

Best regards!

Nrchy,though I understand your response,please make note----It did not satisfy my appetite for a "good,overlong,boring to many,provoking,and agitating" read!!I guess I'll have to go back and revisit some of my own posts!!Best of luck.BTW--The umbilical will better performance,as will an update to the clamp(clamp update costs about 5 bucks).Best regards!

Doug/Sirspeedy/Nrchy/Thom,

I truly appreciate your recommendations which will commence tonight. This will certainly be a drawn out process and just hope that I don't reach the analysis paralysis stage before achieving improved performance.

Don't get me wrong -- my analog setup certainly outperforms my digital rig -- by a big margin. And the ZYX is clearly an upgrade from my previous $1700 cartridge. I just think that there is much more room for improvement. This is my first analog gear and must admit that I am no expert in fine tuning these delicate pieces of equipment. I am able to hear the subtle changes in sound when various settings are changed -- but need to nail down a methodology for determining the best combination of settings -- just too many moving parts, literally and figuratively!

I'll start with the simple changes, e.g., Doug's recommendation on impedance and VTF, then I'll move on to the more complex ones.

Thanks again to all who offered advice. I'll post the results of my efforts.

BTW, Sirspeedy, have to been to that used record place along Rt 18 (northbound) in East Brunswick? Haven't been there lately but seem to have noticed a sign that they're closing so everything's on sale. Let me know if you need the exact location.

Ca2284,---been to that place.Not much stuff of interest,anymore.Same goes for Princeton Record exchange,which is sad,as I loved to take my wife & daughter there for Saturday brunch(in wonderful Princeton township),and then bribe the two of them,with a few dollars,for shopping,as I browsed the record bins.GOD I LOVED to do that,but ownership of that shop insists that the good discs have been snatched up,by foreign collectors.

Fortuneately for me,I have more than a lifetime's worth of good listening discs,as I've been a serious collector for about 25 years!

Best regards.