As a rule of thumb, always go with the lower output as long as your phono will play well with it. Your Phono has 60 db of gain I believe, so you should be fine. The Lyra SL is .24mv output and when I had the JC3 in house it played everthing I threw at it between .2mv to .6mv. Hope this helps. Enjoy the music.
Lyra Kleos or Kleos SL?
I'm considering said cartridge upgrade but would like to hear opinions on the two versions offered.
My TT is an SME 20/2 with a SME IV mk iv tonearm.
Phono preamp is a Parasound JC-3+.
Wondering if the SL version (which is lower output than the regular version) would play well with the JC-3+, or if I might need to add a SUT to the chain.
Also, my musical tastes lean toward classic rock, blues, folk, alt-country, with some jazz thrown in for good measure. Not sure if this is a major factor in the decision or not, but thought I'd let you know.
Please let me know your thoughts if you've had experience with these two carts.
Thanks,
Peter
My TT is an SME 20/2 with a SME IV mk iv tonearm.
Phono preamp is a Parasound JC-3+.
Wondering if the SL version (which is lower output than the regular version) would play well with the JC-3+, or if I might need to add a SUT to the chain.
Also, my musical tastes lean toward classic rock, blues, folk, alt-country, with some jazz thrown in for good measure. Not sure if this is a major factor in the decision or not, but thought I'd let you know.
Please let me know your thoughts if you've had experience with these two carts.
Thanks,
Peter
7 responses Add your response
@tooblue Thanks for the advice. I think I'm going to order the standard version, after hearing that it offers better "weight of sound and dynamics" than the SL version. I imagine the SL version would be ideal for classical, jazz and vocal music, but my tastes are a bit different so I think the standard version will be great. |
Hello, I recently started a thread on this, you may want to search. Anyway, I went from a Kleos to a Kleos SL with the JC3+. It will work fine as long as you don't sit really close to efficient speakers. There is some increase in noise level but it shouldn't be noticeable under normal circumstances. I saw a mention in Absolute Sound about the Etna SL being less dynamic than the standard version. In my setup, the Kleos SL is more dynamic than the standard Kleos. The SL is more detailed and piano might have a touch less weight, but the loss of weight is not a big difference and the extra overtones/texture is worth the trade off for me. In my opinion the Kleos is the sweet spot in the Lyra lineup, but I'm biased. Happy Listening, Robert |
I own the Kleos SL and the Etna. The Kleos SL is really great and I’d go for the SL over the higher output version. Check out this video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b91ydKjb7HQ The song is played with the Kleos SL. In fact, you should read what Fremer wrote about this setup...he called it best of show! https://www.analogplanet.com/content/artisan-fidelity-turntables-drew-me-sound-made-me-stay That being said, this was an all-tube setup with an $18,500 idler drive table with a Kuzma 4-point. Great system, but they wouldn’t have paired a $100k system with a $4k cartridge unless it was ideal....and apparently it was. Good luck. |
I own the higher output model. IMO, IF you are unsure about the ability of the phono stage to drive the lower output model, the higher output is definitely the way to go. To that, I believe anyone with a tube phono stage should only consider the regular Kleos. Lastly, I am always a little concerned that dynamics will suffer as the output of the cartridge drops...this is something one really has to hear for themselves on their own setup and gear. |
Did anybody compare the Kleos SL with the normal Etna (not SL)? I own the latter and also a normal Kleos. Eventually, I'll upgrade from Kleos to SL and I wonder how much the distance still is to the normal Etna. Upgrade to Etna SL would also be an option, though I prefer the Kleos as "everyday" cartridge... Thanks for commenting! |
