Galibier Stelvio II, Durand Kairos with Lyra Kleos (HEAVEN)
Hi Luis, Thanks for your kind words. I just posted a photo of your system (until you get a chance to post better ones). I also described our "two books and 7 business cards" technique for repeatable VTA settings for tonearms with a "set screw on a post" architecture. It's all over here if anyone is interested ... https://galibierdesign.com/2-books-7-business-cards/ More on detachable arm cables when I get a chance ... packing up for a trip to Seattle now ... Thom @ Galibier |
hi Luis, congrats on a great setup there. i have compared the Kairos to my Telos Sapphire and it holds it's own, I've recommended it many times. no one is ever disappointed. it's a great tone arm. and I've heard the Galibier many times with other Durand tonearms (including in Joel Durand's own system) and it's a winner. not surprised by your feedback. enjoy! |
Thom made me a cable for the Kairos as part of the package. I agree with the above reasoning for Joel using this approach. Mostly cost saving and customer flexibility. I’m on day 4 and the Lyra Kairos combo keep impressing me. New life on old records is an understatement. Cheers, Luis D. Paret Keller, TX |
Why did Joel go with a detachable cable on a straight DIN for the Kairos over the captive I the Talea? Possible reasons a) price (arm w/o cable is less), esp. if you already own a suitable cable b) let user choose cable that works best for them, I bought my Kairos with the Durand supplied cable but subsequently changed it to a AQ WEL which to my mind sounds better c) resonance and dressing, maybe, the Kairos has a grub screw to lock the DIN in place, just remember to undo it before trying to swap the cable 🙈 d) safety - installing a unipivot with a captive cable risks straining the connections, much easier if the cable is detached but in the downside it means the arm remains linked to the base unlike in the Talea where the two can be seperated so it’s six of one ... |
Dear Luis, First of all many congratulations on taking possession of one magnificent “beast” of a turntable. I’m sure it will quell the desire to upgrade for years to come. :)
As an aside, I note the manufacturer of the Kairos states that they now offer the option of using your own external phono cable via a DIN connector at the base of the assembly. Reason given is, quote, “to minimise transmission of vibration to the phono cable”. (I interpret this as reducing external vibration to the more sensitive internal wiring of the tonearm.) This is an interesting departure from the concept of the one-piece cable loom. (Clearly it’s an opportunity to sell in-house phono cable also. FYI I don’t subscribe to single piece looms as I find them problematic in several ways.) Did you choose the Durand product or go with your own cable?
Another positive aspect of the DIN connector (other than the ones declared by the manufacturer) is that it prevents accidents such as those that occasionally plague e.g. the Tri-planar, where the 1 year old grandchild toddles around into the crawl space behind the turntable and proceeds to yank the tonearm’s “chain”. :D Later, the poor owner turns up wondering what’s gone wrong with his system and eventually realises the arm pivot is “snagged”. ;) Not many audiophile have a propensity for pulling on tonearm cables so in the grand scheme of things I’d say it was fairly safe either way. ;)
As you may have gathered, I do endorse the use of the DIN connector as a one piece phono cable is not THAT easy to clamp securely and guarantee the outcome. Dressing of the cable to minimise vibration is something I’ve played around with over the years as it does influence the final sound (and one can easily hear the difference “blind”, even doing comparatively simple things).
It would be interesting to know more about Durand’s reasoning & approach to the subject…but don’t let that stop you enjoying yourself. :) Kind regards, Bill |
Nice report Luis, and welcome to the Galibier community. I have a Galibier Gavia with Triplanar VII/Benz LP and have been very pleased with it going on 13 years now. The Stelvio II should keep you happy for a long time. Thom Mackris is indeed genuinely committed to making a quality table that should last for the owner’s lifetime and beyond. And just as important, he likes to educate new owners on how to set up the table for the highest possible sound quality, so if you change a component down the road you can get the optimal setup on your own. |
Also congrats on a great setup. Do take the time to get to know the Kairos yourself (despite the great job I'm sure that Thom did in set up). The first time you clumsily knock the arm you'll potentially throw it off its pivot so knowing how to set that (by feel) is important, plus of course mastering the VTA, pivot bar and azimuth is all key -- and they're all really easy adjustments to make. Finally be careful never to over-tighten the cartridge bolts as the CF material of the arm deforms easily I'm a big fan of getting the table on some form of active isolation (my EAR DiscMaster sits on a Herzan) |
When I buy any expensive audio product, I consider first, and maybe foremost, the person from whom I am buying, both the character and the skill of the guy who runs the company. That's what you're paying for in the end. In this case, you made a great choice all around. Tom gets the highest marks in all categories. |
Thanks for the detailed report on your new Galibier turntable system. Go ahead and post your system photos so we can see how everything looks? Curious about how you're handling vibration control with the new rig. What sort of platform/stand are you using with the Galibier? Are you thinking about any isolation platforms (Herzan, Vibraplane, etc.)? It's nice to hear about Galibier, especially since press reviews are quite scarce (as far as I can tell) and yet they look very solid and appealing. |
