Brand new Lyra Delos - skewed cantilever

HI @anthos314 : Improper anti-skating is a very common cause of cantilever skewing, but your photos seem to show some skew without the cartridge being on an LP, also I wouldn't expect improper anti-skating to cause the suspension to develop an offset to either side after only 2.5 hours.

In any case, you are welcome to return your Delos to us (via the dealer that you purchased it from) so that we can see and correct what is causing the issue.

kind regards, jonathan

Hi again @anthos314: Prior to sending the cartridge, please include a short note in the box with both the serial number and the nature of the problem that you are experiencing. Knowing this will help us focus quickly on the potential problem areas.

You can also email me with the same information as above through Audiogon's message system, so that I can keep an eye out regarding the status of your Delos.

kind regards, jonathan

@mijostyn : please be aware that the issue has already been taken care of, that Lyra has finished servicing @anthos314 Delos and he has received his cartridge back.

Incidentally, the reason why this Delos had a skewed cantilever was not due to a manufacturing issue. Rather, somewhere between us (manufacturer) and anthos314 (customer), someone re-torqued the screw holding the front magnet carrier (which corresponds to the front yoke of a conventional MC). This twisted the front magnet carrier, which affected the alignment of the cantilever and its freedom of movement.

We know this because when we received the Delos, in addition to the front magnet carrier being at an angle (which anthos3147s photos show), its mounting screw had been tightened with far higher torque than our specifications allow.

As to how, when, where or who fiddled with the front magnet carrier, this could have been occurred in the process of a customs inspection, it could have been something else, we have no idea. All that we can say is what the evidence on the cartridge tells us happened to it.

@anthos314, if you can use a very low-capacitance tonearm cable (preferably short), you are likely to find that the sonically optimal load changes.

hth, jonathan

@mijostyn , Lyra cartridges are hand-made, and as humans we can't claim to be infallible - but when there is an issue that could have been caused by our manufacturing, we try to work together with the customer, our dealers and distributors so that the customer is satisfied.

Regarding the Atlas Lambda SL, our cartridge models (more so the Etna and Atlas) are generally manufactured according to incoming orders from dealers which are then conveyed to our distributors. Some experienced dealers are able to gauge demand ahead of time and can therefore deliver when the customer wants a product. Other dealers may be more cautious and not wish to place orders via our distributors until they are sure that they have a firm sale. The availability of a given model therefore depends on the situation.

Regarding transimpedance phono stages, I've used various types over the years. I recall all of them as sounding satisfactory.
OTOH, I cannot recall any of the transimpedance phono stages that I've heard as delivering a revelatory listening experience. (Caveat: it is entirely possible that some of the phono stages that have impressed me have had transimpedance input stages, but I wasn't aware of this.)

The situation with voltage-input phono stages has been the reverse. The phono stages that my ears have had an aversion to have primarily been voltage input, but the phono stages that I felt sounded markedly better than most have also been voltage input. (Caveat: that's with my ears, others may feel differently.)

One must accept that with semiconductor current-input, semiconductor voltage input, tube voltage input (I'm not aware of any tube-based current-input products), SUT input etc., there can be substantially different types of implementations.
Local NFB current input, global NFB current input, complementary input semiconductor, non-complementary input semiconductor (or tube), BJT voltage input, JFET voltage input, tube voltage input, SUT into MM stage with an input load capacitor, SUT into MM stage sans input load capacitor etc.
How the RIAA equalization is accomplished (one-stage active, two-stage active, passive-active, passive-passive, passive with inductors rather than resistors, having an active RIAA network shape both the open-loop and closed-loop response simultaneously) is another major variable, not only by itself, but because of how it interacts with the signal input approach.
Each implementation of signal input approach and RIAA equalization approach will have its unique issues and pitfalls.. that hopefully the circuit designer understands well enough to avoid, or at least mitigate.
Unfortunately adequately grasping the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches and implementations is beyond most customers unless they have EE training. And even so, there are dedicated books on phono stage design that leave gaping areas unanswered.
Therefore I suggest that the most productive way is visit audio shows, dealers, and other audiophiles until you encounter a phono stage that you really like the sound of. Reviews and forum comments can be useful to form a candidate shortlist, but at the end, it is your ears that need to be satisfied.

hth, jonathan

Hi @anthos314 : Thank you for your photos dated 06-21. In my opinion they show a worrisome level of dust; the heightened distribution of dust closer to the LP surface indicates that this dust comes from the LPs being played rather than a generally dusty environment.

If this is truly what your Delos looks like after a scant 20 hours, there is a chance that you may experience longer-term problems, including mistracking, shortened stylus life, and eventual constriction of the cantilever's motion as dust builds up inside the cartridge's inner workings (your photos show that dust is already accumulating inside the cantilever exit hole).

I therefore recommend that you strengthen your record cleaning regime, either with a liquid-based or ultrasonic record cleaning machine.

But the stylus should also be kept clean. Normally I would recommend a water-based stylus cleaner, but with the photographed level of dust deposition, there is a risk that water may cause some of the dust to solidify into a mud-like substance, which could be very challenging to remove without damaging the cantilever.

Regarding stylus cleaning in your particular circumstance, I therefore suggest dry-cleaning the front of the Delos' red magnet carrier and the rear section of the cantilever (close to the cantilever exit hole) gently with a small paint-brush with very soft bristles, trying to flick the dust away from the cantilever exit hole.
Once the red magnet carrier and rear section of the cantilever look clean, work your way forward on the cantilever until you reach the stylus (again dry cleaning only, very gentle motions with a small paint-brush that has very soft bristles).
Once the cantilever looks completely clean, only then would I suggest using a water-based stylus cleaner (such as Lyra SPT), but use it very sparingly so that only the stylus gets wet; try to avoid getting any liquid on the cantilever.

Unless something significant can be done about the dust deposition, you may find that your Delos needs a mid-life thorough cleaning. If it starts to sound like the performance is clearly "off", likewise for the tracking, send it back to us and we will do our best to restore it to proper working order.

If you suspect that something is not right, you could also email us updated photos of the front of the Delos (like your photos from 06-21) so that we can notify you if there are any warning signs.

kind regards, jonathan