Lyra or ZYX ?

Hi Doug and Syntax,
My TT is a Nouvelle Platine Verdier, Tonearm is SME 3012 S2. While current phonostage is a Auditorium23 SUT + Leben RS-30EQ I am planning to change it to an RCM Sensor Prelude or 47 labs, still not decided. Naim Superline is also under consideration.

While the Platine is a very solid table it is actually a bit warm and relaxed sonically, at least that is what I feel with the SME and EMT tonearm I have heard them with. I need a cartridge which can liven up the sound in a natural way and do some nice rhythm and timing. Am I on the right path looking on the ZYX and Lyra ?

Dear Pani: I agree with Dougdeacon: tonearm is critical to judge any cartridge and not only about its effective mass but its kind of signature resonances/distortions and damping on it.

In the other side as Doug posted the phono stage is way important too, as better PS as better cartridge quality performance level. I prefer high gain active PS over SUTs but has the " disadvantage " that a a good active high gain PS are expensive.

I never heard a ZYX through a SME but I heard Lyras and I think works really fine with.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

It all depends on withc tonearm you are using. With Lyra you need a arm withs can take "heaviere" cart`s.

But with that said, i will recomend Lyra Delos over any ZYX cart ;-)

The few times I've heard an SME (V) with ZYX (UNIverse) were not impressive. That arm seemed to smother most of what that cartridge can do.

How much that would apply to a 312 S2/Yatra combination is very debatable of course. Wildly different price and performance points.

With respect, Pierre1976's blanket recommendation would only be useful if he's actually heard every ZYX cartridge. I've probably heard more ZYX models than anyone save nakatsuka-san himself, but I'd never make a blanket statement like that. For one thing, several models are VERY different from the "typical" ZYX house souond. Love the enthusiasm though. ;)

Doug, mine is the older generation SME 3012 Series2, not the new gen SME 312. You mention that with a heavy tonearm the ZYX yatra can rock. Do you think my tonearm fulfils that criteria ? It will be interesting to hear from you what you think about Lyra, just in case you have heard one.

Sometimes I wonder how difficult is it for a dealer to allow a home demo of a cartridge if not the top end at least the mid level ones. He can even charge a sum for doing it but how easy the life of the buyer becomes !!