Lyra Kleos vs versus the EMT TSD 15. Thoughts?

I totally agree with Pani.

The EMT TSDD15 needs a real gut SUT and is also best matc hed with tube equipment. I owned one for about 1 year and never liked the sound through a solid state system. I ended up selling it.

If you don't use a SUT, then stay away from this cart and get the Lyra Kleos instead, trust me, you'll regret your purchase (I did).

@Mountin pics ... yes. IMO, I think the Kleos is a nicer sounding cartridge. But remember, taste and equipment compatibility are key considerations. In my experience, the 2M Black just didn't work well in my rig for the reasons stated above.

Bifwynne and pani, thanks for your responses. Bifwynne, glad to Hawt you like the Kleos. Are you glad you made the switch from the Orto 2M? I want an upgrade but want to be sure it's a real, noticeable upgrade.

In my experience the TSD-15 sounds best with an appropriate SUT. I have heard it direct through MC phono (really good ones) and through good SUT, the SUT way sounds way more natural and balanced. Whereas Kleos doesnt pose that restriction IMO.

I own the Kleos and have posted many positive comments about it. Never heard the EMT cartridge but would also be very interested to read comments by folks who have seriously compared the two cartridges.

Btw, I used the own the Ortofon 2M Black. IMO, I found it to be a highly resolving cartridge. OTOH, I also found it to be a tad analytical ... perhaps "bright" is a better word.

Also another caveat. Not sure about causation, but my Classic TT had a tough time tracking busy dynamic tracks. I have two theories and don't know which one is correct.

One: the 2M is a high compliance cartridge and despite claims that the VPI Classic arm can track pretty much any cartridge on the market, I can't say this is so. I definitely had a problem with the Maestro and Virtuoso ... both high compliance cartridges.

Two: the 2M has a high output and may have clipped my linestage during dynamic tracks. I seem to recall that it is rated at 5 mv, but some have said or written it may even be higher. My phone pre has a rated gain of 58 db. I don't know how to convert those stats into output voltage presented to the linestage, but Leonard at ARC suspected I might have clipped my Ref 3. Dunno???