Lyra Atlas experiences


A few years ago, I invested in a Lyra Atlas cartridge / pickup. I have moved up, from Lyra Clavis in the early 2000s and Lyra Titan i later. The Atlas was expensive, but I have not looked back. Yet I wonder, can something more be done, to optimize the Atlas, in my system, and others. How can this remarkable pickup run its best. What are the best phono preamp and system matches. Should the system be rearranged. Have anyone done mods or DIYs to their systems to get the "reception" right? What happened? Comments welcome. You dont need to own a Lyra Atlas but you should have heard it, to join this discussion. Comments from the folks at Lyra are extra welcome - what is your experience.
Oystein
o_holter

Showing 1 response by karl_desch

@o_holter Several months ago, I took the plunge and acquired a lightly used Atlas. I noticed that the cantilever was off center when playing and at rest. Sounded fine but I sent it to Lyra for cleaning and adjustment.

Back from Lyra it looked to be in perfect straight alignment.  I use a MintLP or an Accutrak arc protractor as well as a USB microscope and a Foz for setting up cartridges. 

Compared to to my previous Delos, the Atlas is more dynamic, more information gathering and has much deeper and better defined bass.  This is especially apparent in my stereo when mounted on a Mørch DP-8.  This cartridges sounds great on simple acoustic and jazz as well as more complicated rock and electronic.  I tend to use my Koetsu when I feel that rhythmic information is more important but I really love how music explodes off the recording with the Atlas.  I learn a lot about the intrinsic nature of a cartridge when I can compare it to others in my system.

I find that my Pass XP-15 is not that sensitive to loading but I settled on 500 ohms. I hope to listen to it through an Atma-sphere MP-1 in the future.

-Karl