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Vinyl Heaven : Lyra Atlas on a Durand Talea 2

I am not usually given to expletives but WOW....this is sooo effing good I can't believe it. The Atlas has less than 6 hours on it.The Atlas replaced a Titan i and initially, I was a wee bit underwhelmed, as the cart loading was at 100 ohms,the same as the Titan. Switching to a 1000 ohmn loading was a revelation.The 1000 ohmn loading resistor on my Nagra VPS phono will presumably require some break in.
My quick and evolving first impressuions of the Atlas vs the Titan i : the Atlas does everything the Titan i does, except it does it a whole lot better. The traditional Lyra agility and speed( the Atlas is my 4th Lyra after the Helikon, Skala and Titan i)is there in loads except there is now an organic wholeness to the music with a longer sustain and decay of notes. In every respect, IMHO, the Atlas is way way better than my previous favorite cart, the Transfiguration Orpheus L.There is so much more detail being extracted from the grooves. Does the Atlas make all recordings sound good ?Far from it. It made me realise how crappy the Pink Floyd reissue of WYWH is.
Should point out that at the time the Atlas joined the party, the TT,a TW AC 1, also benefited from a major upgrade with the Black Night PSU and 3 motor unit.
If you ever contemplate an upgrade to the best, that the state of the art has to offer,you will do yourself a favor by auditioning the Atlas and the Durand Talea 2.
I have no relationship with any manufacturer.
Cheers
Pradeep

128x128sunnyboy1956
dgad
782 posts
 
Pradeep,

The change of the TW BN power supply is primarily a quieter background (this depends on your home electrical system somewhat) and a more relaxed sound. I have A/B'd the 2 extensively. Just to help you isolate the differences.

I love my Titan I so much I don't want to hear what you and others have to say. I much prefer my denial. But between you, Shane, and Fremer I am being pushed towards an upgrade. Is the Titan worth holding onto after the fact? I have found the Titan I a better cartridge than my Allearts for less than perfect pressings. Makes them a touch more listenable.

And I have the WYWH SACD,CD, original pressing and the reissue. The SACD is extremely poor IMO. The vinyl reissue is much better, but the CD is better than both and my original pressing is excellent but a little softer sounding than the CD.
smoffatt
205 posts
 
Hi all. Very informative thread. I have a Graham Phantom II with an Ortofon A90. I have just enough funds for ONE upgrade.
What would be the biggest (sonically speaking) ROI ?
Question:
Should i replace the tonearm with a Talea 2 ?
Should i bring the Phantom to Supreme status ?
Should i replace the A90 with an Atlas ?

FYI, TT is Sota Cosmos IV. Just can not live without vacuum hold down.
Phono stage is ARC Phono 2 modded by Steve Huntley.

Word of wisdom anyone??
sunnyboy1956's avatar
sunnyboy1956 OP
424 posts
 
Dgad
Am grateful to you and Dev for highlighting the sonic virtues of the BN PSU/motor upgrade.You were spot on regarding a quieter background. In a sense it reminds me of my battery driven Sutherland Phd which i had years ago. I suspect if the mains supply is less than optimal(which is defintely true in my part of the world) the greater the discernible impact of the BN upgrade.
You owe yourself a listen to the Atlas and methinks you will come away bewitched!
Smoffat
ROI in high end audio, even sonically speaking,IMHO,is a bit of an oxymoron.There are many here on Agon who have more wisdom/experience to comment.Unless you are clear what you are looking for, I suspect the comments of others may be of limited value.Speaking of carts, would urge you to audition both the Atlas and the Ortofon Anna and go with whatever rocks your sonic boat.
njoy
downunder
1,329 posts
 
Hi Smoffat

I do not think you should be in any hurry to buy an Atlas if your A90 is still working fine.
That said I believe the Atlas is the better sounding cartridge. imo, the a90 is smooth and slightly relaxed in its delivery. The Atlas is faster with better,dynamics. Both are very pure sounding. You could buy another arm wand and the Atlas. You could swap between then :-)

I guess I should upgrade my v1 phantom to a supreme on day?
anyone on the main sq differences?

Darren, keep your titan and just buy an Atlas when funds permit. Best of both worlds
mikelavigne
2,200 posts
 
Smoffatt,

i've not heard the Atlas, neither do i have a feel for the Phantom II compared to the Supreme.

i do think strongly that getting the best tonearm is highest on my list as an overall system building approach. and the Talea 2 would likely end up the bigger overall step up compared to a cartridge upgrade. i know what stepping up to the Talea 2 was from the Reed's, Triplaner, and even the Talea 1. i view the Atlas in the similar catagory as the Anna, and i'd rather go to Talea 2 from the Phantom II, than from the A90 to the Anna....especially if you already enjoy the A90. i lived with the A90/Talea 2 combo very happily for awhile.

i also agree with Downunder that you are at a pretty high level and no great need for a change. if you like where you are then enjoy.
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