Goldfinger Statement, Lyra Atlas or Ortofon Anna?

Dear Audiofreakgeek, Peter, Jfrech, Peterayer and Stringreen

thanks for your kind and helpful words.

My system is:

Turntable: Versa Dynamics 2.3i (which has it own linear tracking arm)
Phonostage: Audio Research Ref Phono 2
Preamp: Audio Research Anniversary
Poweramp: VTL MB-750 Ref (maybe I will add an Audio Research Reference 250 which perhaps will better harmonize with my preamp)
Speakers: Genesis II

Phono cable: MIT Phono Ref (from 1996, 1 Meter) and Nordost Valhalla (1 Meter)
Interconnect cable: Nordost Valhalla (7 Meter)
Speaker cable: Nordost Valhalla (2.5 Meter)

Power cords: Elrod EPS-2 Sign. (2)
Power cords: Elrod EPS-3 Sign. (6)

Rack: Finite Pagode Master Reference (2)
Power conditioner: Burmester 948
RCM VPI HW-27 Typhoon

Because I live in Germany prices are a bit different here:

10.500 Euro: Clearaudio Goldfinger Statement
9.900 Euro: Lyra Atlas
5.975 Euro: Ortofon MC Anna

For the Clearaudio Goldfinger Statement I would get a very nice trade-in price of 6.500 EUR because I have a good working Insider Ref Wood.
So the Atlas is 50% more in price for me.

Because Mike Lavigne has a MC Anna I thought it is already available in US.

I can not reliable judge the Ortofon MC A90. I sold it very fast for a good price because the MC Anna just came out after I bought the A90.
The Dynavector DRT XV-1s is excellent on Classical Music in my system.

The Insider Ref Wood is a little bit thin and aggressive on massed strings (with higher modulation) in the upper midrange and lower treble.
But for Jazz the Insider is still fantastic on my system (I listen to lot of Jazz 1950-1970 like originals or Music Matters Blue Note reissues at 45rpm etc.).
May be you will smile, because my Insider is nearly 10 years old!

I never heard the Goldfinger v1 or v2 or Statement - are they very different from my Insider?

Perhabs the sonic differences are enhanced because of imperfect SRA/VTA adjustment.
I am still in love with my Versa Dynamics 2.3i turntable but the crux with SRA/VTA is this: Because my tonearm is ultra short (effective length ∼ 53 mm) changing the height of my tonearm to only 0,9 mm results is changing SRA for 1 angular degree!
So perhaps I soon should buy a USB Dino-Light Microscope (thank you Wally) to find a better SRA reference point of 92 degree before further fine tuning by ear?

I would love to hear the Airtight Supreme but it is very rare in my country.

Maybe richer sounding cartridges like Miyajima Kansui or Koetsus would perhaps better fit tonal to my system. But I am afraid that I will miss resolution because I lived so many years with these kind of cartridges.

Many many moons ago I heard a Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum when I visited Michael Kays Lyric in NYC. It was a fantastic sounding audio system with Well Tempered turntable ARC preamp, Manley 500 and Manly 300 driving Infinity betas and a full set of MIT cables. It was one of the best set-ups which I have ever heard: Tonal positively warmer. What was most impressive was not only the wonderful soundstage. Shocking good was the kind of soundspace (!), the believable body of the instruments.

With the right recording and lights shut down you could hear so much body and between the instruments nothing, no smearing. I never heard that again in my life.

Maybe it was a combination of the Koetsu, Manley amps and the fuller more organic than my Valhallas sounding MIT Cables? Not to forget top room acoustics and a perfect set-up done with great knowledge and patience by audio veteran Elliot Goldman.

(Sorry english is not my native language)

No, I haven't auditioned the Benz LPS. My friend had a Benz LP and was not so impressed, but I heard that the LPS is very different.

Any further input would be very appreciated.

Alex

Hi Dover,

thanks for your advice. I am not shure if can agree.

There is a lot of discussion between better to use short or long interconnect cables.

Never thought that 6-7 Meter interconnect is a problem if output / input impedance between preamp / power amp is considered.

I always prefer to have my analog setup on the long wall and only the mono amps between my speakers. My last system had also a 6 Meter (XLR) MIT Cables with excellent results.

Output-impedance of my ARC Anniv. primp is 600 ohms balanced and input-impedance of my VTL amp is 137k ohms so I do not see a problem.

"As a general rule of thumb, you're safe if the preamp's highest output impedance spec is 1/10 of the amp's input impedance (or the amp's input impedance is 10x the preamp's highest output impedance)"

Valhallas values seems also not critical to me: inductance 508,0 nH/m / resistance 12,8 mOhm / capacity 27 pF/m

What I will do soon is to reterminate my 7 Meter Valhalla to XLR because my ARC preamp seems sounds better on balanced outputs.

But I have to concede that for the last 15 yrs. I did not try short interconnects.

Alex

Thanks Mike
that sounds quite encouraging about the MC Anna.

Do you have an opinion on the Clearaudio Goldfingers?

Do you don't like them?

Best regards
Alex

Please excuse any misspelling it is late over here ... and a nice Riocha ...

Hi Mike,

I am deeply grateful for your prompt response.

You have done a lot for this beautiful passion of "high fidelity" and music, thanks again.

Very kind regards
Alex

Thanks Syntax and Sarcher30.

Can someone describe how the newer Clearaudio Goldfingers compare to my older Insider Reference Wood?

Only even more resolution?

No change in tonality?

Hi Pani, no I haven't heard a ZYX 4D.

Before my mentioned cartdridges I had three v.d. Huls (Grasshopper IV and Black Beauty).

But for my speakers they had too much rising high-end. Otherwise I liked them for their vivid sound.

Thanks Sunnyboy1956, I have the Atlas still clear on my "radar".

But price in Germany is 50% higher compared to Ortofon Anna and Goldfinger Statement (with trade-in of my Insider).

I would invest that sum if I could be confident in the strength of the Atlas in synergy to my system.

Is there anybody out there who upgraded from Clearaudio Insider Reference Wood to the Clearaudio Goldfingers?

Improvements? Change in tonality?

Regarding the Goldfinger Statement Jonathan Valin wrote in TAS Issue 216, October 2011:

"You’re going to find this hard to fathom—I certainly did—but in tonal balance the cartridge that the Statement most resembles isn’t the Goldfinger v2 or the Ortofon A90, which is what you might expect; it is the Koetsu Blue Lace! Yep, this is a voluptuous-sounding transducer—the polar opposite of the traditional Clearaudio sound.
Now, I don’t know if this gorgeous tonal palette will change with further break-in. But at the moment this is one ravishingly beautiful cartridge to listen to. Let me be more precise here, lest you get the impression that the Statement is a highly colored cartridge. It is not. But it is warmer and sweeter and fuller (i.e., closer to lifelike with a touch of romance) than any Clearaudio I’ve heard—ever."

Can someone agree or is this only "reviewers hyperbole" ??

Hi Emil_f I asked audiogon to help, because I can not find the "send email" button to contact you. When I have the answer you will hear from me. Thanks.

Hi Glai thanks for your input. Did you also try the Atlas on the "Low Gain" setting of your ARC Ref 2 ? I suppose Atlas output is to low for the "Low Gain" setting.

I prefer the sound of the ARC Ref 2 on the "Low Gain" setting. In my system it sounds smoother and slightly fuller.

"High Gain" sounded more detailed to my ears.

I heard the reason is that in "Low Gain" setting the Ref 2 is a pure tube phonostage with no FETs in the signal path.

With my 0,7 mV Clearaudio I can use both settings.

Hi Audiogon Community,
hi Emil_f,
some minutes ago audiogon mailed me this: "We currently do not have an email feature on our site."

So I established a temporarily mail-address. I appreciate if someone wants to contact me with further - perhaps more private - opinions/ informations:

mm5p.h2hfta@yahoo.de

Thanks Alex