Jan Allaerts Cartridge Experience?

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...

Pietro, thanks for posting. I am very curious regarding your phono stages you've tried with the Allearts Formula...can you let us know?

Thanks

Hello Jfrech.
The MC2 Formula1 usually is used with an Accuphase 300 preamp.
I have also used it with an Audio Note Japan 6C transformer + an FM Acoustic 122 MKII MM Phono preamp and finally i have used a Shindo Lab Mombrison in the MC input.
With the Shindo the result is not very good as its gain is a little low for this cartridge and for this reason the sounds loses something in terms of "body" (i am not so good with english).
With both Accuphase and ANJ + FM there are no problems in this way and, it seems to me that the sound keeps fine and rich.
Pietro

Dear Lucy25: I owned the MC2 Gold ( btw, the M.Fremer Allaerts MC2 sample in his review was my cartridge that I borrowed to him because Allaerts never had on hand a sample for review. ) and own the Formula 1.

I ow, owned or heard in my system all the cartridges you mentioned but the ZYX Diamond and my experiences, with out been the same, were around yours.

+++++ " I think best matching for the Formula1 is an active preamp.... " +++++

here I certainly agree, MC2 and Formula 1 needs an active high gain phonolinepreamp to permit that the cartridges can shows you at its best. Speaker/amps is a different matter and IMHO not related with what the cartridges can shows, of course that at this quality performance level we have to have first rate audio items at each audio link in the system chain.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.