Cartridge for VPI Classic 3?


Purchasing a VPI Classic 3... want to hear opinions on cartridges. So far my front runner is the Lyra Delos which is also at the top of my budget. Others considered were Benz Micro Glider, Dynvector 20X, VPI Zephyr

My system:

McIntosh C1000T preamp (extremely flexible phonestage)
2 McIntosh MC275's
Dali Helicon 800 MKII
Synergistic Research cables/power cords

Thanks!!!
128x128siberhuskie
I'm using a Benz LPS in my 10.5i and am loving it. No inner grove distortion, great dynamic range, delicate when required, and bold when the record demands it...great depth, air....I haven't heard better.
I tried both the Lyra Delos and then the Kleos with my Classic 3 tone arm / Scoutmaster combo. I found both these cartridges to be smooth but lacking deep bass and general excitment. I've always loved Dynavectors, but did not want to go to a SUT and another set of cables (see my active thread on this one). I just tried a Soundsmith Zephyr and have to say it seems to combine the best aspects of deeper bass and an exciting presentation with the smoother high end of the Lyras. Only have 10 hrs on my Zephyr so far, but it blows away the Kleos at 1/3 the price, IMHO at this point. I can hardly wait to hear how it matures with more break-in.
I pretty much used the procedure by Michael Fremer on Analog Planet > Setup tips> How to use a USB Digital Microscope to set 92 degree Stylus Rack Angle (SRA). I used a different digital microscope (it was around $40) and is very high power, 800x. It is a little hard to use at that power, and I also needed to take off the front protective piece so I could get it close enough for the focus. I took the image, transferred it to Powerpoint, then drew my graphic lines on the image. Then I measured the angles with a protractor on the screen. I repeated the procedure, raising the VTA tower, until I achieved the desired angle, 91.5 degrees.

Every stylus is different, so my setup might not work for you. I needed to raise my VTA tower significantly to get to 91.5 degrees. What is nice, is it gets you in the ballpark and then you can fine tune by ear.

Also, make sure to check your MINTLP again, since as you raise the VTA, you will also change the geometry of the arm, and you will need to re-align on the MINTLP.
I am at 2 grams VTF and 100 ohms load right now, but still optimizing.