Who does not like the Lyra Dorian?

Only heard one once in a system I'd never heard before but it sounded exactly as you describe and the system owners eventually replaced it with a Denon DL-103(!).

I ran the Denon DL103 and the 103R for close to 10 years and it is one of my favorite cartridges. But in no aspect is the Denon a better cartridge than the Lyra Argo (i) I own.

On the other hand if one is looking for a laid back sound the Lyras are definitely the wrong direction. Especially the last generation of Lyra cartridges is lively, direct, detailed, a little forward, with great attack and decays. Even the tonal balance of the Argo find spot on and it captures drums and percussion more realistically than almost any cartridge I have heard.

In you case, a Shelter, Koetsu, or Denon DL103 may be more to your taste.

A brand new Dorian shouldn't be excessively bright. Right out of the box mine sounded very nice (on an RB300/Acoustic Solid Wood). By way of comparison, I also have an Oracle V/Graham 2.2 w/Nightingale running into the same phono stage and system. Tonally, the Nightingale - which is fully run in - was "lusher", but similar to the Dorian. Both are nicely detailed. The bottom end of the Dorian system was fuller and a bit "woollier", but this may well be the RB300.

Personally, I prefer the Graham and agree that the Dorian feels a bit more forward, but the Lyra sounds very good to my ear. I can't help wonder if the issue lies in system matching somewhere in your chain.

Well Martykl maybe the forwardness is a more accurate term than brightness. I can adjust brightness with lowering loading in the phono preamp, so that's not the problem. I am just getting used to a more merciless attack. The dorian (at this early stage) is still quite severe, at hour 13 of the break-in.

I also must say that I am used to a totally different sound: a Benz Ace. This might be part of the problem. But what a nice problem to have!

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Hi,

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear the Lyra Olympos on my turntable. It was so resolving right out of the box that anything downstream was left naked with all its flaws apparent. If the Dorian is anything at all like the Olympos in its nature, you may, like me, begin to question other aspects of the system. On the otherhand, some rooms aren't suited for certain components, and the Dorian may be one of those components in yours. That said, you will rarely find a group of listeners who share the exact tastes. You may just like another cartridge better. I believe all of us have most likely been down that road.

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Mosin you are a reasonable guy. The Dorian is resolving in a merciless way! It does certain things much much better than my Benz, but it shows no compasion to any flaw, in particular distortion, like in Chess recordings from the 50's. However Blind Lemon Jefferson, J.S. Bach, and Stockhausen never sounded so good.

Maybe I am beginning to like it (at about 16 hours)!