Cartridges better than Colibri XGP?

i've owned 7 Colibri's over the last 9 years, and typically 3 at a time. there are a few different Colibri's, but i'm not exactly sure what an XGP is. i've had XGW's (wood body, gold windings), a couple of XCP's (copper windings, polycarbinite body), and an XPP (platinum windings, ploycarbonite body).

when a Colibri is at it's best; it is super explosive and detailed, very natural and with see-thru transparency. really breathtaking. unfortunately; any Colibri is also knife-edge in it's character......always borderline to being too edgy and splashy. it really needs an arm with a good amount of dampning to control the 'zingy' nature. i've heard that the Graham Phantom is a good match, there are likely others.

at this point i don't own a Colibri; but i will in the furture. i got tired of fighting the damn things. but i still miss the moments when heaven openned with the Colibri.

of the Colibri's i've owned; the most 'explosive' is the copper windings/polycarbonite body XCP (i've owned 4 of those--2 series 1 and 2 series 2), the most detailed is neck and neck between the XCP and the XPP, which is platinum windings and polycarbonite body.

the A90 approaches very closely to the explosiveness of the XCP; i think it's because the A90 is the only other cartridge with such a minimalist body. nothing to slow down that energy.

if you are going to own a Colibri, get over being concerned with a cantiliver being aligned to the body of the cartridge, it will only happen by accident. which is not problem, just align the cantiliver and ignore the body. and if your arm does not naturally handle resonance easily you will be fighting edgyness. the Colibri is a truth machine; not glossing over arm shortcomings.

Albert,

i don't know about your arm so i cannot really help you there; although a varible dampning like that should help to allow you to tune it. my perception is that the Colibri really loves a 'fast and neutral' arm, whatever that is, to keep up with it. if that's how you precieve your arm then it will likely work well.

yes; i owned an XGW, which is the gold windings and Mytlewood body, and it was softer/warmer (only a touch) and more forgiving. it had less a tendancy to be edgy, so it was smoother.

beautiful and interesting system you have there, congrats.