Aidas Cartridge


Aidas                           PanzerholzAidas                           Purpleheart diamond
Aidas                           Purpleheart

Aidas                           Purpleheart ruby          

Aidas                           Red Heart Indian  

Aidas                           Red Heart Gabon  

Does anyone know anything about these.  They are supposed to be GREAT Value.  I find no reviews and no web site.
    dcaudio

    Current Euro - Dollar parity is allowing Aidas prices to drop for USA buyers by 10% at the moment  fyi :)

     

    Solypsa

    I have a Denon 103R with a Midas head shell and Soundsmith Sapphire cantilever.  The Mammoth Gold I have on demo is head and shoulder above the Denon.  No comparison.  Much more clean, smooth, accurate, balanced and full.  Its much better all around.  It also puts my Hana ML to shame.  This is a much more expensive cartridge than either of the others I have.  I am seriously thinking of keeping it.  It has transformed my phono setup.

    I need your help regarding a problem with Victor Simakov from AIDAS Audio. I sent him more than 6 months my Mammoth gold II for repair.(a broken cantilever) I tried to call him many times and sent to him a dozens of emails, SMS but no response. Maybe you know anything about him and his company? MY CARTRIDGE NUMBER 18-186. Best Doron
    • Announcement from Aidas Cartridges:


    Regarding customers of Aidas Cartridges that purchased a cartridge prior to 2020 and now need repairs or service, they must visit the official Lithuania factory website  and find an authorized dealer. Announcement here.

    This is, I am told, in response to reports of cartridge owners having trouble when using prior distribution network agents to properly facilitate repair services.

     

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    Responding to duffster03 abt Victor service . Just bought a used Victor MC-L1000 MC from him . Over charged shipping cost . Suppose to refund once he got the actual shipping cost . Never responded to me subsequently . 
    I asked abt the faulty catridge - no sound in 1 channel , he sold me as pristine .  Never responded until I told him I will post my experience in audiogon . Since he claimed is pristine , I asked maybe I can trade up , no response from him . Hmm I don’t think I can trust him , bought & sold stuff in audiogon past 15 years . This is the only bad deal I experienced . Unfortunately I tried the catridge on a few headshell , still no sound on the right channel . Is definitely faulty catridge . Good luck with Victor 😅

    Thanks @gakerty 

    I put on some Erik Satie, and while his music should not be listened to critically… it was very grating on the loud piano passages. Not sure about distortion, but the sibilance was dire. (May be it is distortion through?)

    However my MM cart does very well on more quiet music. Just struggles on the loudest parts. Actually, some pressings are loud and fine… it is the higher frequency piano note that usually present the issue.

    Good to hear that the Aidas sails through it.

    Based on the Hifi News test record, the first tracking test is the "Tracking Ability 1 (300Hz L+R At +15dB)". Seems on my system a typical LOMC present SLIGHT distortion or a warbling tone on this. Previously a Lyra Delos sailed through it, and of course vintage MMs have no problem. On real music, I test with high peak piano, in which there’s a combo of sibilance and distortion on those quick note peaks. Yuseef Lateefs Eastern Sounds first track has a few of those quick high level piano peaks, and that’s a good test for tracking IMO.  My current Aidas has no problem in this regard.

    @gakerty 
     

    Tracking on the Aidas is on par for a LOMC, perhaps a bit better than the Benz.

    Can you please dumb that down for me as to what I would hear with a poorly tracking cartridge?

    I think I have an idea with sibilance, but I am not 100% sure.

    On the topic of repairs; Aidas Cartridges does repair, cantilever/stylus replacement and full rebuilds on all their carts. A nice feature imho versus a trade in program.

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    On the subject of Aidas-- I recently switched from Benz LPS to an Aidas Gala Gold.  The Aidas is lovely.  It is NOT starkly different than the LPS, but the Aidas has more treble extension and mid range detail.  Instrument timbre is rich, perhaps with a TOUCH of pleasant bloom.  The overused term "musical" applies here to the Aidas, and there's plenty of detail to go around.It sure is one pretty cartridge too!  I have it loaded at 300 ohms, which seems to me the loading sweet spot, but changing loading on my Zestos Deluxe 2 doesn't make a huge difference.  Tracking on the Aidas is on par for a LOMC, perhaps a bit better than the Benz.   Overall, the Aidas Gala Gold is my favorite cartridge I've owned.  I would not hesitate to continue with Aidas when this Gold wears down.  I'll probably get it retipped when the time comes. 

    Aidas cartridges Website : link

    North America distributor Website : link

    Germany distributor Website : link

    They just showed at Munich with Len Hifi!

     

    Ummmm... Nine months with no contact from the people at Aidas is not just poor customer service.  It's no service at all, or possibly your box got lost in transit.

    HI

    Does anybody have experience with customer service at Aidas Audio?  I returned my Mammoth last Sept 2021 for service and can't get a status via Phone, Email, leaving messages?

    Are they still in business??  So far worst customer service experience I've ever had.

    Duffster.

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    Hello,
     I'm producer and distributor of Aidas phono cartridges.
     Please check Aidasaudio.com All needed information and reviews links there.
    Also you can check USA distribution site at: virausa.com
    You can contact me if need any additional information about cartridge specs or purchase directory.

    Thank you,

    Victor Simakov
    Vira USA LLC
    1-310-806-2854
    email: aidasaudio@yahoo.com
    I’ve had the pleasure to listen to the Aidas Black Sound - Red Heart. This was sent to me by Victor Simakov of Virahighend along with a Krell KC-200 I purchased from him. This came as a complete surprise and it offered me a chance to try it in my own system, without any obligations. An unprecedented token of good faith and customer service in my experience.

    I gave it a good listen (about 25 hours) and after some settling time I was easily convinced that this cartridge can compete with the very best. The noise floor is vanishingly low, suggesting excellent built quality and very good resonance control. It’s an amazing tracker as well. Sonically it is in vdHul Colibri and Ortofon MC A95 territory, two other high resolution 'open' systems I compared it with. The Aidas has a slightly warmer and more relaxed presentation, but without sacrificing transparency.

    I wouldn’t exactly call it a bargain, $3000 MSRP is still alot of money. But in the current marketplace with its absurd pricing tactics it’s a VERY good deal. Its closest competitors are on the wrong side of $5k. If you’re in the market for an MC cartridge in this price range, make sure to put it on your ’must hear’ list.


    Anybody know what the going rate is for these cartridges? I can’t seem to find much info on them online as far as pricing goes.
    I use the Aidas PanzerHolz, and have several other carts but the Aidas is simply fantastic, so much so that I just never even think about carts any longer. It beats ART9 by huge margin, also MY Sonic Eminent BE considerably, being far more open, detailed but still thoroughly musical and controlled.

    One of audio's true (and rare) REAL bargains..
    The direct web site : aidasaudio.com
    Another site info: virausa.com
    Many reviews:  https://aidasaudio.com/reviews-and-awards
    Dealers:  https://aidasaudio.com/dealer-s-network

    The cartridges are better than 95% of everything on the market.
    "23,000 year old Siberian Wooly Mammoth tusk"
    https://virahighend.com/aidas-phono-cartridges

    Fancy BS shells for their carts and not surprising  "amazing" reviews.

    They look nice.