Jan Allaerts Cartridge Experience?

BTW,Thomas--I owe you an apology!I read your post too quickly.You were not contradictory.Sorry!!

Dear friends: +++++ " I think, here it is much more important what Arm you have and what Phonostage to get the details out. " +++++

I almost agree with this Thomas post specially on the phonopreamp subject where not many people give the critical importance that the Phonopreamp has on the quality sound reproduction. In my opinion this analog audio link is ( maybe ) the most important one.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

I own a MC2 Formul 1.
I have used it with a Da Vinci Grndezza Gran Reference 12" and also with a Graham Phantom 2 on a Monaco Grand Prix Audio turntable and on a Versa Dynamics 2.0.
It is a good cartridge, fast, dynamic and well detailed.
Compared with tha Kondo IOM it sounds a little lighter on low frequencies but a little more dynamic..
Compared with Ikeda 9 it sounds a little deeper on low frequencies and very similar in dynamic, perhaps just a little lower but richer in details.
With a Audio Tekné MC6310 it is clearer ad more extended in high frequencies, faster and more dynamic, but perhaps for some voices and "solo" instruments" a little less "magic" (but it happens only few times).
Compared with the Audio Note IO LTD it has a better separation but loses against the capacity of IO LTD to materialize instruments/people/music in front of you.
Against the ZYX Diamond, it sounds a little similar but, i think that, the Diamond has all the qualities of the Formula expanded.
I think best matching for the Formula1 is an active preamp, but it seems to me it sounds a little more natural with high sensivity speakers driven by tubes.
:)
Pietro

Wow- Good stuff. Thanks for the breakdown. I know someone who uses a Jan Allaerts, and loves it. I wanna say it's a 1B model. I hope to hear one at some point. I have heard the Ikeda and they are excellent, although one with a low/med mass arm need not apply.

I have a lyra Atlas and a Allaerts MC 2 Finish. Grand Prix Monaco Turntable with a TriPlanar (current model), EAR MC4 Step up, Nagra VPS.

The Allaerts is finicking on set up and on the phono stage. Honestly, I am on the hunt for a better phono stage...unsure if I'll go solid state (like Pass or Boulder) or Tubes and Trannies (like Allnic or Lamm)

So my set up with the Atlas is near perfect from a phono stage perspective, with the Allaert's it's on the edge of being a issue (lyra is .56mv and Allaerts is .2mv) I get a little hum, microphonics in the cable off the SUT. I get about 18 db gain of the tap I use on the EAR and another 49 db from the MM input on the Nagra..

All this said...The Allaert's MC 2 Finish is a fantastic cartridge. dynamic, fast, natural, ultra focus and presentation on the sound stage wide and deep, but not stretched images...

All if this in comparison to the Lyra Atlas, which is one of best...