Lyra or ZYX ?

According to various posts on the internet, the 3012 S2 had an eff. mass of 14g. From that perspective it's just massive enough to be viable, though ~18g would be better. Experience from someone who'd actually heard the combination would be better of course.

Mehran might surprise you about demoing. He's a very customer-friendly guy. Couldn't hurt to ask, he might have a used one lying about. Who knows?

Doug, what is your opinion about Lyra vs ZYX ? Since you are so exhaustively into analog I would guess you have heard some Lyras also ?

Pani,

The only Lyra I've heard extensively enough to have a firm impression is the Olympos, a ~$10K model that's no longer made new. I've heard multiple samples of that cartridge in friends' systems and my own.

I could blab on but it wouldn't be very pertinent to your decision. Not only was the Olympos at very different price point from yours, every report I've heard (including from JCarr of Lyra himself) is that Lyra's new cartridges do not sound like the Olympos.

By reputation the new ones are fast and dynamic, perhaps on the cool and detailed side of neutral. But all that's just repeating what I've read, not anything I've heard. Barely worth even one grain of salt. I'd defer to Lyra owners for impressions of the Delos or any other current model.

Pani...LOL!!! Phono cartridges are absolutely the LAST item that you will ever get a home demo from a dealer on. I suppose there is no harm in dreaming though. :-)

Doug, I'm sure Pierre1976 has never even heard "any ZYX cart", which is why his reco makes sense.....to him.

Pani - if it were me, I'd look at updating the tonearm first. I own a 3012 and it is really of collectors interest only. If you want more detail start with the tonearm. If you can afford a Graham Phantom or similar performance even at the cost of not doing the cartridge or phono stage now I think you will be much better off in the long term.