Cartridge comparison for best match

Jaybo .. i have sent the BB off to get rebuilt. I still believe that the current set of new cartridges will surpass its' otherwise very excellent performance ... which I have enjoyed for 10+ years. Ctm cra, thank you for adding to this thread. The Dyanvector and Miyabi have both received good press. I have heard some feel that the Colibri is somewhat lean ... which is why he developed the Condor.

Krc - If you have to have a MC, you may want to consider the following in addition to some of the above recommendations:

Miyabi/47 Labs
Dynavector XV-1S

Both made easy the decision to sell my KRSP, Condor and Shelter 901 when AB'd on my VPI extended Aries with multiple 12.5/12.6 arm wands.

I would include the Colibri, however ordering one requires that you are very specific about the sonic strengths and weaknesses of your system. The Colibri is not for everyone. When setup in the right system, however, it is simply untouchable and the musical experience is unforgettable.

Now because of the different options like coil type, cantilever length, body material, etc. it will require that you first dialog with a dealer before one is ordered. Even if you were to listen to a demo unit, the sound you hear may need to be qualified depending on what type of Colibri is used. It's been said that if you come a cross a Colibri for sale and you like it, buy it! Ordering one may not yield the same sonic results as the one that impressed you.

Best regards!

i still believe a retip is the ticket...even if you get another cartridge, that van den hul was by all accounts...lightning in a bottle...still a benchmark, and an extremely rare piece as well..good luck

I incorrectly identified one of the cartridges in the start of this thread as the Black Diamond. It should have been the Magic Diamond. Any input on this cartridge would be appreciated. I seemed to be leaning towards the Airtight PC1 or the Magic diamond. Any opinions on this comparison? Thanks.

Thank you for the responses. I will look into both the Universe and Shelter as well. I have indeed sent the BB off to VdH to be repaired and refreshed. But somehow I would think that technology has make significant progress in the last decade and while still a classic it has been surpassed by the newer breed of cartridges. Jaybo, do you think this is true?

a retip perhaps, since you have a classic cartridge.

You may also want to consider the Shelter 9000. I am using it on the TNT6 with 12.6 arm. Soon to be reviewed at the 10Audio Site.

I tried a few with my AirLine, Transfiguration Temper, Lyra Skala, Zyx UNIverse and a few others. I think, most work well, but those below 10gr work best, it is huge difference in all Frequency Areas, more, air, more bass, better definition, better separation etc.

Try the ZYX Universe to see how far cartridege design has come in 10 years.
It leaves the Clearaudio Insider Gold, Lyra Helicon and Lyra Titan i behind.
Of course, as I'm reminded constantly...........it's only my humble opinion.