Dear Doug: Now, I think that you can understand the why's of our ZYX differences in opinions: ... I think Larry too and the transformer coupled phonopreamp of Patrick is the same.Heh. I may use stepup transformers but none of Larry's three phono preamps has one. Nor does Patrick's. Better check your facts.
Larry, Patrick and I have different phono stages but we all like ZYX cartridges. Allow me to draw a conclusion: they're pretty good. Perhaps you've never heard one properly set up on a well-matched arm.
Unfortunatelly all of you never know for sure which is the real performance of the ZYX cartridges till you have the right phonopreamp.Your one-man campaign against ZYX makes it likely that you've only heard them with the WRONG phonopreamp. That is the logical explanation for an attitude which no one else seems to share.
FWIW, I've heard ZYX (and other) cartridges with at least twelve different phono stages. Some were all SS. Some were all tube. Some were SS + tube. Some were stepup transformers + tube. How many do I need to hear before I'll "know for sure" what a cartridge sounds like? Will you send me a diploma? ;-)