ZYX R 1000 Sigma X - thoughts, comments, reviews

Thanks Mark for your response. Couldn't agree more. Room acoustics and set up are key. Also agree that I am not concerned with having a $10,000 cartridge. My whole philosophy with the upgrading has been what does it sound like, will I notice the difference, will it improve my system and is it worth the price. My guiding principle in all things I purchase is quality. I will wait and spend the extra dollars for something that is well made, well supported, and backed by the manufacturer/seller.

Thanks for your thoughts on signing my name. Wasn't sure about the etiquette for doing so on this sight. Have really enjoyed reading all the posts on Audiogon and the advice given.

Thanks to everyone,
David

Heh. I actually advised Mark NOT to upgrade to an Airy 3, since I thought (and still think) that it's overkill for his table and arm.

But he ignored me and he's happy. Cogito, ergo erro!

Doug

David/All, Well truthfully, Doug had concerns that an AQ Unipivot Arm would be able to control any possible wooliness that the Airy 3X might display. I had real concerns as well if the compliance of the Arm, and it's design would let the Airy 3 operate like it is supposed to.

I didn't find the Airy 3 to be quite so sensitive to VTA adjustments, as it's played quite well not getting to particular in this rrgard, but I did notice VTF settings were sensitive, particularly when the Cartridge was fresh from the Box (a nice Box BTW)

I found due to the bvery high quality of this Cartridge, that stricter attention needed to be paid to precise VTF, and as wll, critical alignment.

The Turtable Basics Protractor that Doug initially suggested many months ago was good, and better than probably many more expensive Tractors, but the Mintlp Protractor, which many have found to be a godsend from Yip in HK, to be the cat's meow.

As I found out before the hard way in the past, one wishes to be cool, and perhaps dial in a prescribed VTF setting, and think that "Oh, Joe Smith says 1.83g is working killer with his Airy 3", and let me try the same, and see what happens?

That setting might be fine for a broken in ZYX Airy, but it wan't fine for my new one at first. I went through the bit of mechanical sound for a few hours, and then noted what appeared to be distortion-sibilance from mistracking. S's sound raw, raspy, edgy, distorted, lacked purity, and solidity.

I then went to 1.93g, and it was better, and then tried an even 2.0g for the heck of it, and it seemed all rawness vanished, and the meager AQ PT-8 (now a new AQ PT-9 on board) was able to "handle" this cartridge.

I also suspect the money, and time spent (almost 2 hours setup) with the Mintlp Tractor was a very wise one. In time, I will probably be able to start to cautiously-carefully back off on VTF, with even more improvements, when the time is right.

My previous Cartridge, the Benz Ruby 3, was very nice, smooth, clean, pure, but I do enjoy the qualities the Airy 3 has brought. Mark