Cartridge upgrade for SME 20/2A???

The 17d mkII gets a wee bit confused at times when the musical load becomes really complex, so I really think it's a matter of finding a more suitable partner for my 20/2A which I believe is capable of much more.

I agree your rig is worth a better cartridge. It's also worth a better phono stage, which would likely provide more of the clarity you're seeking.

On the cartridge front, I've heard many that get confused just as you described. Then I heard a ZYX. Their clarity and ability to reproduce individual instruments and voices is unflappable, no matter how complex/dynamic the music gets.

I've owned the Airy 2, Airy 3 and UNIverse (in several configurations). They all maintain the clarity you're seeking. What you get as you move up the scale is increased resolution of inner detail, increased dynamics/heft/bass tightness and increased speed.

For your system and priorities I'd suggest the Airy 3 or (if at all possible) the UNIverse. The Airy 2 is rather "polite" and may not have the low end heft you're seeking. The Airy 3 is a stronger cartridge, well worth the small additional cost. The UNIverse is in another realm altogether. It's among the top handful of all cartridges being made today, and it's particularly strong in the areas you're seeking to improve. No cartridge I've heard, at any price, does a better job of portraying individual voices in the midst of wild complexities, without ever sounding analytical or unmusical.

- an Airy 3 or UNIverse on your arm would need ZYX's optional "SB" headshell weight, you'd lose dynamics and bass weight without it

- low output ZYX's are faster and more dynamic than high output ones and you should be fine with them; the quoted spec is .24mv but that's per a non-standard test record; the actual output spec comparable to Dynavector's is about .36mv

- the copper coil option is faster and more lifelike on leading edge transients, the silver coil option smooths things off slightly and provides a more relaxed sound

The Dynavector XV-1S and Transfiguration Orpheus would also be very good choices. My tastes run toward the transparency and neutrality of ZYX, particularly the UNIverse, but others prefer the slight additional oomph in the bass that those cartridges provide.

Enjoy the music whatever you choose!
Doug

Doug - a Loricraft, and a Teres 320, and a Triplanar vii, AND and ZYX Universe????? That's extreme; clearly sanity left you long ago :)

You must be new around here. Everyone knows this. ;-)

I hope somday to pick your brain a bit about the Loricraft. My project for the next two years is to "ramp up" my analog setup, and a record cleaner is on the "to do" list.

No RCM?! Move that to the top of your list.

Don't ask any Loricraft owner for advice until you've set aside the purchase price. Don't waste time looking for a used one either, you probably won't live long enough.

The advantages of the Loricraft (and Keith Monks) are primarily related to the vacuum/vinyl interface.

With VPI, KAB, Nitty Gritty, Record Doctor, ClearAudio and similar RCM's, a vacuum wand with a "felt"-covered slot straddles the rotating LP. This has multiple disadvantages:

1. The felts get contaminated very quickly by soaking up grungy cleaning fluid. They require constant attention and frequent changing. Failure to monitor this means you're spreading scummy fluid residue around the next side you vacuum.

2. A flat, full-width slot cannot make good contact with low spots on a warped LP. Nor can it make good contact on the lead-in grooves of LP's with raised lips, the dirtiest part on most used records. Nor can it make good contact near a raised label.

3. To achieve effective air velocity across the full width of a 4" long slot requires a very powerful (and LOUD) motor. Even with this, multiple revolutions are required to get the record completely dry.

4. Unfortunately, friction from multiple revolutions causes a static buildup in the vinyl, which makes it attract the dirt you were trying to remove. To avoid this, many users advise vacuuming the record until it's "almost" dry. Unfortunately, this amounts to advising that you leave some amount of scummy residue on the LP.

In summary, RCM's with felt-lipped vacuum wands suffer from multiple operating deficiencies that are inherent in that design. The negative effects of these can be controlled with good operator techniques, but they cannot be eliminated.

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By contrast, the vacuum on a Loricraft/KM is supplied via a hole that is < 1mm in diameter. The surface area of this hole is probably < 1% of the surface area of the slots on conventional RCM's. Achieving high air velocities through such a tiny hole requires a far less powerful motor. Vastly more effective vacuuming, yet quieter operation.

Further, the smaller motor generates less heat. A Loricraft will happily run 24 x 7 without overheating. Many VPI 16.5 owners can't clean more than 5 or 6 LP's in a session before the machine shuts down. I once cleaned 35 LP's in a single session on my PRC-3. I wore myself out but the machine just hummed along.

The vacuum head on a Loricraft/KM is mounted on a moveable "tonearm", which freely rises and falls over warps, lead-in ramps and other irregularities. As the arm motor drives the head across the rapidly spinning record, every inch of the surface receives the same (powerful) vacuuming.

The vacuum head/vinyl interface is metered not by grunge-grabbing felts, but by a nylon thread. Contrary to oft-expressed opinions, that thread does not "clean" the grooves. (Sewing thread is far too large to fit inside an LP groove.) The thead's only function is to maintain a constant, minimal but safe gap between vinyl surface and vacuum head.

The thread is advanced after each vacuuming sweep (with a quick twist of the spool on a Loricraft, automatically on a KM). Dirty, contaminated thread goes into the waste bottle and never touches your vinyl. A spool of thread lasts for thousands of vacuum sweeps, and replacements cost next to nothing.

With such a small point of contact and friction, static build up is virtually non-existent. Every side is vacuumed completely dry, with no undesirable side effects.

In summary, it's a better design. It's robustly built to work and last forever. As others have found, once you've used one it's very hard to imagine going back. Expensive, but worth every penny.

Regards,
Doug