Difference between ZYX 4D and ATMOS

05-29-09: Peterayer
What I'm curious about is after Mehran's supply runs out, to which brands of cartridges are these owners going to migrate?

I am curious too. Nice chance for Shelter. Another hugely underrated cart (as per Arthur Salvatore website). Transfiguration. Or may Mehran would discover another magical carts?

Once my stash of zyx is gone or dead, i plan to look seriously at the Soundsmith Strain Gauge. The approach is very intriguing.

I know a link to Mehran's website has already been posted, but here for the record are his comments from the website on the Atmos/4D controversy:

"based on my verbal and email exchanges with ZYX and Sibatech, ATMOS and 4D are the same. in fact, on dec. 10, 2007, i had requested ZYX/Sibatech to make some SORAsound 4D empty boxes and manuals for me, so i could take pictures of them as a proof that we could have 4D available to our customers if they wanted. this was mainly to address some rumors in germany that SORAsound could not get 4D and that 4D was better than atmos and UNIverse.

here you see one of SORAsound/4D pictures. relabeling my existing ATMOS inventory to 4D was going to cost me 7,000 yen per cartridge but i decided to stick with atmos, mainly because we had done some reviews of it, nakatsuka san (and me too) also thought it may be confusing to our customers, and also, because i wanted to easily identify the gray market 4D (a friend/associate of mine had unfortunately contributed to that).

a comment recently posted on audiogon, allegedly on behalf of these companies, indicates they are different. i think it is pure BULL. i simply can not imagine these words are from nakatsuka san as i still have a lot of respect for him."

I bought an Atmos from Mehran, because I trust him. I also trust that the manufacturer will honor the warranty commitments as they have promised to do. The problem I have with the statement that they are not the same cartridge, is that it was made in an effort to besmirch the reputation of a widely-respected seller here on Audiogon by claiming he was misleading his customers. That, IMO, is simply wrong.

As the Atmos and 4D are the same, it will be interesting to see how ZYX and KT Audio try to say otherwise in the future. I would challenge them to submit those two cartridges to M. Fremer for serious review - if they have the balls to do so.....maybe ZYX will now start manufacturing one of them differently in order to CREATE a difference where none existed previously. CYA

It is funny that KT and ZYX would dig this hole with the Atmos and 4D, but when you think about it, They are doing the same thing with the whole line, charging big differences for the type of windings where the actual cost differences are a few dollars. Of course the big irony is that the cheapest windings, copper, has the best reviews and followings. And as for the blue balls.... i do not need da blue balls.