I would take a Lyra Delos over the Dynavectors and Benz by a large margin. The Delos has a much higher resolution, more detail, more dynamics and energy, and presents instruments and voices with much more realism. The XX2 is veiled and laid back by comparison, lacking nuance. I cannot say much about the Zephir, but I have compared the Delos and Kleos to a Soundsmith the Voice and again would choose the Delos. In fact the person owning the Soundsmith The Voice did end up upgrading to a Kleos. |
The better the cartridge, the better the sound. If you can squeeze out for the top of the line Benz or Dyna cartridges, you won't regret it. |
I have a Benz ebony L and it is very musical and detailed,that said it matches my pre amp(shindo) and prior to that I had a ace and moved up the line with great value and service. |
I heard one of the early versions (still with the aluminum arm) with a Zyx Yatra at the '09 RMAF, and it was pretty nice. |
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@Restock - The Delos is interesting but would cost me double the price of the Benz and 40% more than the XX2. I'm not sure I want to spend that much but as ever in this hobby I may end up stretching :-) |
Before i did anything i would replace the Nordost cables. |
I'm considering replacing them, what would you suggest as a replacement? |
I just sold a Classic with a Denon 103 which I thought sounded quite good. Buy one of these an stick it in and listen for a while, cost is chump change compared to the others mentioned and you may like it; if not you have a back up or can resell it at little loss. I also use Musical Fidelity equipment and have found Denon [ for whom I am NOT a dealer] to be a good match. I use VDH TFU cables [dealer disclaimer] which I find to be a hell of a bargain; VERY close to the best available and relatively cheap. VDH is a serious company that does extensive research and manufactures its own wire, not some guy in a basement. |
I started with a Benz Glider on a JMW 10.5 and, while I did enjoy this cartridge in that context, sometimes found it not to track well on highly modulated tracks. Since then I have become a fan of Lyra cartridges and the Helikon currently installed is sweet and a fantastic tracker on this unipivot arm. |
The Denon 103 may not be an appropriate cart for the JMW 10.5i arm. Call VPI for further information. |
Currently using Grado Statement1 on my 10.5i arm. Sounds wonderful after some tweaks that Mike at VPI recommended to me. |
I used a 103r on a JMW 12.5. A few Audiogoners recommended the DL-S1 over the Shelter 901 and the VDH Frog, that I had been considering, at the time. The improvement was overwhelming. The cartridge is smooth across the whole frequency range. I cannot find any weakness in the sonics. It does not color the sound.
The DL-S1 is a higher compliance cartridge than the 103R and is better suited for the unipivot-design of the JMW tonearms.
I listen primarily to classical and big band and harmony vocals like the Mills Brothers. This music is much more demanding than rock music. Though I have listened to some of the classic rock bands and it is stunning the detail and separation of the instruments and vocals.
I use a modified Jasmine phono stage (upgraded the output caps with Jantzen Superior Caps). Note: the stylus of the DL-S1 is smaller than the 103r. This is why it can dig out all music in the microscopic grooves.
You can get a great value on a new DL-S1 from Galen Carol. |
With regard to interconnects: I purchased some 26 gauge, shielded, silver-coated copper teflon wire from John's Silver shop on Ebay (it was $15?) and some inexpensive solid copper RCA plugs (don't over pay for a big name. PartsconneXion is a good source.
If you have some patience and dexterity with stripping and soldering thin wire, this is a real bargain. They look ridiculously thin. However, they sound great. On the down side, if they don't meet your expectations, you are only out a few bucks. On the up side, they may fit the bill, and you have left over cash for something else. |
@Jazzgene - Is this the regular Grado Statement or one of the 1.5mv versions VPI had made for them? I wish a Grado for my Scoutmaster but am a little conflicted as to whether I should get one of their regular low output models or one of those custom made for VPI (which are somewhere in between their high & low output cartridges). |
It's the 0.5mv Statement1. Works fine with 60db gain. |
But you do dial in gain, I guess the "VPI Grado's" are designed for less adjustable phonostages. |
I purchased a Dynavector XX2 MKII for my VPI Classic several months ago, upgrading from a BenzMicro Glider .8 Mv cartridge. I haven't heard the Lyra Delos, but I would never say the Dynavector is veiled. It is VERY detailed and dynamic in my system, with voices and instruments sounding real and in the room. It's a very good match for the VPI 10.5 arm. |
In the end I ordered a Benz Wood SL, hope to hear it in around one week's time!
Thanks for all your help. |
Hope you are enjoying your new cartridge. I have a classic table and just upgraded to a wood sl from a denon 103r after having snapped off the cantilever on the denon. The Benz is a very nice cartridge and is much quieter in the groove and much more neutral sounding.
Chuck |
Thanks, the cart has arrived but the turntable hasn't yet :-) |
