Tranfiguration Orpheus description

Well,my friend has tried to obtain an Orpheus.He is running up against the "scarcity" factor.
It seems the distributor is on back order.Are the audiodudes in Europe snatching these up?Are they on to something,that we are not privy to?
Well,my pal is a pit bull,and I'm sure will come up with one very soon.
Just a bit of conjecture,by me......I have been looking very carefully at the difference between the Orpheus and Temper-V,on paper(which cannot be conclusive without a good listen,but does tell me something).
The only meaningful "specs" that stand out are the fact that the Orpheus is 1.5 gms heavier,has a very slightly different body shape(NOT new material),has an internal resistance of 2.5 vs the Temper's 3.0 ohms,and has an output of .48 vs the Temper's .38.That's it!!Hmm!!!

Of course I'm just being very scrutinizing here,and it may mean little,once I set-up my friend's arm,with one.Yet with the marketing done,in the high end,I can't take anything for granted.
Ex:as for the supposedly important internal resistance issue,the ZYX Univ specs at 4 ohms,and 8ohms,based on model selection,while the Myabi Ivory specs at 2 ohms!

I guess it will be all in the LISTENING,but I'm suddenly not so hot to jump on the "new product" bandwagon,just because a new model has come out.
Time will tell,and my Temper-V,with only 250 hours on it,is looking pretty good,with any leftover dough possibly going for the Townshend Super Tweets,that sounded SO amazing at Cello's last fall!I don't REALLY need those either,but they have fascinated me,ever since.Can't shake the possibility!

Best,
Mark

Mark, you can search cartridgedb.com til your eyeballs fall out but you won't find another MC cart with the (low) coil resistance (i.e low coil weight)-to-output ratio of the Orpheus. BTW, the outputs for Tranny (and ZYX) products need to be multiplied by a factor of 1.6 for comparison with (most other) cartridges that use the CBS test record. So a V is really .61 mV, and a O is really .77 mV.

These kind of specs are yet unheard of in the world of MC cartridges. It's gonna be a killer! Over three times the output of ANY cartridge with such a lightweight coil. C'mon!

Oh sure, the 2 ohm Miyabi Ivory = .2 mV output. Fabulous!
The 4 ohm ZYX UNI = .38 mV (corrected by 1.6) Terrific!
The 8 ohm ZYX UNI = .77 mV (corrected by 1.6) Amazing!

B. F. DEAL!!

I mean let's look at this. The UNI has the same output as the O, but the O's coil is 1/3 the weight (and probably 1/3 the windings) of the UNI. So which one do you think will sound more like an EXTREMELY QUIET .77 mV version of a .2 mV Colibri??
.

Dear Julian Hersch,I mean Nsgarsh.....I'm not so sure it really is such a "B F Deal",as you put it.
That is my point!AND believe me,I hope the Orpheus blows away my Temper-V.I will certainly get it immediately,if that happens.BTW,don't be so quick to dismiss the Univ,or some of the other designs,for "features sake".I have heard quite a few of these,and could easily live with them.With a smile on my face.To be honest,the Univ(though it has been talked about "ad Nauseum")is everything stated about it,based on my few hrs spent with it.The Dynavector is almost perfect,to me,with the Titan coming close,and the Myabi is fabulous,too,but a bit romantic.YMMV.All this is only my opinion anyway,which means "nada"!
Do you know for sure,if the "O" Has a much more refined coil "Schtick" as opposed to the Temper-V?
It is also no stretch to see how the Mfgr decided to increase the output a "smidgen",change the body(same material),and go from the Temper's 3.0 ohm resistence to the new,and not so much better 2.5 ohms.Then you have the 1.5 grm increase in weight,and a price increase of 1500 dollars.There's not alot "there".But I did not design it,so maybe I'm being too sceptical.I think my approach is healthy.
Of course,I hope it comes out way ahead of what I already have,but I don't think my way of looking at this(before I decide to invest,and I am "really" ready here)is out of line.It's my money on the line!!Money I will be happy to spend for a real improvement.NOT specs,on paper!!
BTW,when I do set up my friend's "O",I will be completely open minded,and just let the product speak for itself.Besides There will be other ,very experienced hobbyists there.
Let's hope the supply opens up soon,so I can find out,and I will be honest in "our" opinions!
Best!
Mark

Mark, your response indicates a slightly different understanding from mine.

Once again, I have no reason to diss those other great cartridges;--) However, in terms of further design innovation or performance improvement, I see nowhere for them to go.

The following comment (of yours) is why I get the feeling that you're just not pickin' up what I'm puttin' down, as they say:

"Do you know for sure,if the "O" Has a much more refined coil "Schtick" as opposed to the Temper-V?
It is also no stretch to see how the Mfgr decided to increase the output a "smidgen",change the body(same material),and go from the Temper's 3.0 ohm resistence to the new,and not so much better 2.5 ohms."

OK, first of all, I don't think the mfgr simply DECIDED (i.e. as part of some marketing plan) to bring out the Orpheus. Nor do I think they just DECIDED to increase the output a "smidgen" or reduce the coil weight by 20% while increasing output 25% over the previous model. You can't just DECIDE such things, wave your magic tonearm, and have them come to pass!

What they did, they were able to do because of what they learned from making the V and the W; Obviously, they have to respect electromagnetic laws just like any other cart. mfgr. So if you want more output with fewer coil windings, there's only one way: get a stronger magnet (with a more focused flux field, if possible) In the Orpheus, the ring magnet's size/strength has obviously been increased enough to achieve respectably modest output using a coil which, in other (conventional) cartridges, would produce just a low output (around .2 - .3 mV)

The Orpheus combines the (I assume better) tracking and transients of the V, with the healthier output of the W -- and makes it unnecessary to offer two versions of the Orpheus. And I don't believe this was all the result of some marketing "decision" -- where they already had the technology in place. No no. I think once the W and V were in production, they realized how close their specs actually are, and started looking to see if there was a way to make the W's coil lighter, and the V's output higher, and then combine it all in a single cartridge. Answer? Bigger magnet.

Now, to address an obvious question: So why doesn't using a bigger magnet work to improve the conventional yoke designs?

Answer: Because no matter how much stronger the magnet, the flux field itself (in the gap between the poles where the coil sits) is only useful just where the coil is immersed in it, the rest is wasted. That's why the folks at Dynavector have gone to extraordinary lengths using multiple Alnicos, "flux shaping" coils on the front poles, and a "shaped aperature" on the XV-1s front pole, all in an attempt to focus the flux field on the coils. But it's still a low output cartridge ;--)

In the Transfiguration ring magnet design, they've basically set the coil down into cylinder-shaped magnet with a hole just big enough to receive the coil without it touching the sides of the cylinder. With the suspension rubber on the bottom of the can and the cantilever sticking out the open end, the coil is literally immersed in a magnetic flux that's totaly concentrated on the coil. This arrangement also solves eddy current problems, etc. and I'll bet the magnetic "can" helps to shield the coil from RFI/EMI too ;--)

I guess what I'm trying to express is that the introduction of the Orpheus wasn't just some "planned obsolesence" marketing strategy -- any more than when ZYX brought out the UNIverse so soon after the Airy 3. They just discovered a way to do something better and said, "Why not?" Don't we wish more manufacturers felt that way?
.

The real reason for the increased output vs. impedance is a new core material (around which the coils are wound). This material was introduced by MySonic Labs' Matsudaira (formerly of Audiocraft) on his Eminent cartridges from a few years back.

One of Ortofon's newer SPU series (which I believe was also designed at least partly by Matsudaira) shares the same core material, and has similar output voltage vs. specs (something like 0.5mV with an internal impedance of 2ohms).

I believe that MySonic Labs shares a builder-craftsman with Immutable, hence the transfer of core materials.

Although the Eminent is highly regarded in Japan, production is very limited, so it may not be well-known in other countries yet.

Incidentally, both the Eminent and new SPU model use a traditional "Ortofon-style" magnetic circuit (with polepieces aka yokes and all), so it is doubtful if the choice of magnetic circuit has much to do with the increased output efficiency.

IOW, give ZYX or other cartridges the same core material and chances are that you'd get similar increases in output vs. impedance efficiency without much redesign effort required at all.

hth, jcarr