Cartridge break in


How long does it take for a new cartridge to settle in.
maxh

Showing 3 responses by maxh

Thanks.
Just switched from a SoundSmith Zephyr to a Lyra Kleos.
The Kleos has more of audiophile everything: bass, imaging, impact…
But the high end is too edgy for my system and vocals have a papery quality. I'm hoping that this will tame after some hours of break in.
Otherwise back to the Zephyr.
Rest of the system: VPI Aries 3, VPI 3D 10" tonearm, Musical Surroundings Super Nova phono stage, ARC preamp, Bel Canto Ref500 mono amps, Joseph Audio Pulsar speakers.
Thanks for the feedback.
I'm pissed with myself because the Aries/Zephyr combo was "dialed in." I was really pleased with the sound: violins had a woody mellowness without a trace of harshness; piano reproduction inched closer to how a piano sounds.
But I wasn't satisfied; more is better; a $3K cartridge must be better than a $1K cartridge.
Oh la…
In fairness to the Kleos, it is better Hi-Fi. It seems clearer and more defined but the result, for me, is a better look into how the recordings were made and not into the enjoyment of music.
I fell like the traitorous Cypher in the Matrix. I don't care if my system is not accurate; I want to be fooled by it.
DU and DD,
That was my first thought; that the new cartridge had exposed some limitation in the system.
I'll let the Kleos break-in before looking at the most obvious possible sources: the phono stage and/or the preamp.
The Musical Surroundings has been well received in the press and has been a pleasure to use. It has two great assets: it is dead quiet (possibly because it is battery powered) and it has three independently adjustable inputs. I have an old Thorens that I use exclusively to play 78s.
Any suggestions that would work well in the Aries/Kleos combo?