DRT XV1s Vs Orpheus Vs Shelter Harmony Vs 47 Labs
If timbral accuracy and dynamic facility are your goals, the Transfiguration Orpheus (0.68mV) will meet and possibly exceed them. I've used it in reviewing four phono stages (ARC PH-7, Artemis PH-1, Atma-Sphere MP1, ZYX Artisan) and across them all its character holds true. Pardon the self-quote: "With its seemingly effortless dynamic contrasts and sublime tonal purity, the Orpheus is one of the great phono transducers of our day, a true music-lovers cartridge." Tim |
Piedpiper - thanks for the follow-up. Bill - I think the number given for a manufacturer's output measurement is likely based on the choice of test equipment they have on hand. For an 'apples to apples' comparison I use the 0.68mV output figure because the output measurement published for many/most cartridges is based on the CBS 'standard' rather than the JVC 'standard', Manufacturers should include which scale they use when publishing the measured performance. Transfiguration does, but many do not, and simply assume the CBS scale Here's conversion info. The beauty of standards is there are so many to choose from. heh. Tim |
No_regrets - yes, three reviews are on-line. The ZYX Artisan is currently in-house for review and I won't comment in detail until publication, which could late May or June. Suffice it to say it lives up to the ZYX name. Pardon my shamelessness, links are below (if this is too much of a tout, tell me and I won't do it again): ARC PH7 Atma-Sphere MP-1 Artemis Labs PH-1 SirSpeedy - wrt Orpheus break-in I found a corner was turned at ~70 hours and another around 120hrs. From the big Mahler stuff to Fingal's Cave to Mozart Quintets with Grumiaux, the Orpheus is a superb choice. And then there is choral. The Orpheus and the Atma-Sphere MP-1 with some nice '60's Siemens 12AT7s ... no better have I heard on female vocals - from Lucia Popp and Vier Letzte Lieder to Finzi's Intimations of Immortality - from Butterfly to Abbado and Brahm's, the O is It. She drove a Plymouth Sattelite? Faster than the speed of light? She Came From Planet Claire? Yeah, it cooks. Dougy Dougy Dougy - Air Tight PC-1, Universe, Orpheus ... at this strata, there is no best, just taste and ears. ;-) Bryan - send me a note offline saying how you like the Stealth Hyperphono. Thanks! Tim |
Piedpiper - thanks! Douglas - no hidden meanings or agendas or point scorings or spoofings or feather rufflings or tweakings or critiquing fun at anyones expense were meant by my comments. Top-notch amps, and preamps, and other gears are often discussed in these fora. Whenever you've got a group of superlative products its hard to pick any single one as the top or an 'objective' best over others, with the net result being a personal choice founded on one's sonic priorities and preferences and what one hears. I wasn' trying to explain what you said, or argue different from it, just adding my own comment to yours in a friendly way. With the emoticon added from your post as an attempt to say 'I hear ya' or 'Amen' or whatever empathy neuron cares to fire. And hey - guess what I bought - a cocbolo armboard drilled for a triplanar. Tim |
