Speedy -- let me clarify/restate my position. I'm NOT saying that the Tranny V, W, or the Orpheus raise the bar on the other fine "traditional" cartridges I mentioned. They can all hold their own quite nicely for now, given high quality preamplification.
What I AM saying is that the traditional (yoke) MC cartridge design, which (except for the Decca) has been with us since the beginning, has been refined/modified as far as it can for getting the absolute maximum performance from it (or so it seems to me, however informed debate is always welcome ;--) Maybe some designer out there yet plans to try titanium coils or rare earth supermagnets.
So my assertion is simply that the V and W and Orpheus are already in the same league as the other hot ticket cartridges, but unlike the others, the Tranny design still have much unexplored room for improvement; and the fact that the Orpheus was introduced so quickly on the heels of the V and W is to me, living proof of that hypothesis.
As a matter of fact, I'm a reluctant to invest in an Orpheus right now, and here's why:
1.) I really like my W a LOT!
2.) Unless you guys say the Orpheus is VASTLY superior to the V or W (thus automatically making it better than every other cartridge on the market!) I expect that:
3.) There will soon be an Orpheus MkII (or a Pegasus, or a Thaedra or whatever) and/or:
4.) Others manufacturers will begin making their own version of the Transfiguration design, which IMO is just begging to be copied.
My remark about "much unexplored room for improvement" is meant to suggest that ultimately, and if the will exists, I believe we may see a MC cartridge that has MM output, but using an ultra-lightweight coil found today only in .24 mV output MC cartridges. Wouldn't that be cool!
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