Anyone contrast Transfiguration with Allaerts?

I have not heard both side-by-side. One model of Allaert that I head (cost something like $15,000) in a friend's system did not work well at all IN THAT SYSTEM. He uses the Boulder phonostage and Boulder linestage. He simply does not have enough gain, so he has noise issues and the system sounds a bit lacking in dynamics. In a dealer's system, using a custom-designed phonostage with the top-of-the-line Audionote step up transformer, the same Allaert sounded terrific -- very refined and composed, but not dull and lifeless. I've heard a cheaper model with the Audionote M-8 preamp, and that combination worked well too.

The Transfiguration Orpheus is a cartridge I like a lot. I've heard it in the systems of two friends, and I got to borrow one for about two weeks. I really did not try to optimize the loading in my system (big pain to do with my Viva Fono), but still, I got very good sound. Compared to my Lyra Titan, the Orpheus has a slightly elevated midrange that makes the music sound vibrant and exciting, and not as "cool" sounding as the Titan. It may have been slightly more shutdown on top and not as "fast" and detailed as the Titan, but, that too could be a loading issue. Both behaved similarly in terms of tracking ability (very good). If you are familiar with other Transfigurations, such as the Temper V, the difference is that the Orpheus sounds more dynamic and lively (I liked the old Temper Vs neutral tonal balance and composed sound, but thought it was too lifeless for my taste; the Orpheus is a BIG improvement).

I wouldn't overlook the Transfiguration Phoenix. At a much lower cost this is a lively and fun sounding cartridge. If you are looking for something that is very composed, and well balanced, and you are willing to give up a little on ultra detailed sound, the Ortofon PW is another interesting candidate.

To me, the Benz Glider is a little bit on the brighter side of the spectrum, and is a touch "rough" and edgy sounding, though I like the speed and detail. If it is neutral sounding to you, then you have a pretty wide range of cartridges that will sound good in your system (the thing that typically annoys listeners the most is when a cartridge sounds edgy and lean). The Allaerts, Transfigurations and Ortofon PW are more forgiving in this regard than the Benz Glider. All of the cartridges I mention will deliver, particularly with classical music, the full harmonic complexity and "density" of the music while not sounding sluggish and overly warm.

Of course, how a cartridge will perform in your system depends a lot on specific component interactions. That is hard to predict. My general impression, on hearing the Transfiguration Orpheus and Phoenix in several systems is that these are forgiving cartridge that work well in a wide range of systems. The lower output Allaerts could be touchy when it comes to having enough gain. The Allaerts were also very touchy when it comes to loading. The Ortofon PW I only heard in one system (though two different tables). My own experience with Lyra cartridges is that they are not terribly sensitive to loading, but very sensitive when it comes to getting VTA set correctly.

Hi Ed,

I doubt that anyone can say definitively whether or not you have any sort of compatibility issue as far as the Allaert and the SUT in your phono stage. The following is a "guide" to SUT matching:

http://www.vinylengine.com/step-ups-and-mc-cartridges.shtml

I have no idea if this guide is helpful or not. Built-in stepup transformers in a phono stage are kind of a hit or miss deal, because the ideal transformer characteristics depends on the amount of gain you need and on the source impedance of the cartridge.

As far as the proper loading into an active phonostage, the Allaert distributor insists on a very specific loading (at least that is the case with the cartridge my friend owns). This suggests that the cartridge is very sensitive to proper loading.

My own experience with other cartridges is that proper loading is very system specific, so at best, a range can be recommended. To some extent, one juggles a variety of adjustments interactively, rather than as discrete adjustments. For example, if you have tonal issues, such as a cartridge sounds too bright or lean (lacking in midbass), the best setup might involve a combination of increasing the loading (going with a LOWER number for the loading resistor) as well as lowering VTA a little.

I know this advice goes against the school of adjustment that says that there is a very specific loading for each cartridge, based on its electrical characteristics. However, in my experience each cartridge reacts differently to loading, depending on the phonostage.