Fine responses by all the above. I probably have more experience with the ZYX lineup than some others. In the past year I've had the Airy 2, Airy 3, two UNIverses and one non-released model in my system. (Helping Mehran of SORAsound evaluate his product line.)
ZYX's are mid-compliance cartridges, so they're a fine theoretical match for JMW's and other medium mass arms. I've heard them on a Graham 2.2, TriPlanar VII and the Schroeder Two, DPS and Reference. People say they perform well on a Moerch DP-6, Nottingham Space Arm and other arms too. ZYX's are somewhat exacting as far as setup is concerned, so an easily adjusted arm helps. Once set up however, they do not place difficult demands on the arm, which some lower compliance cartridges do.
I'll disagree with Lugnut's otherwise excellent recommendations when it comes to the performance differences between ZYX models. In a sufficiently revealing system the differences are very significant.
There is no doubting the overall superiority of the Airy 3 over the Airy 2. The former's greater speed and dynamics are apparent in just a few moments. I could easily identify one from the other blindfolded in my own system after a minute or two. The Airy 2 has a slightly richer harmonic envelope, but that cannot quite make up for its relative slowness, at least to my ears.
The UNIverse is so far beyond both Airys it renders comparisons meaningless. If the rest of your rig and system are up to it, its ability to transport you right into the acoustic space where the music was recorded is uncanny. As Lugnut said, a UNIverse on an appropriate rig will bury your Meitner. IOW, if you don't want to risk obsoleting your digital source and collection then don't listen to one. Once you hear it there is no going back.
Pair a UNIverse with a TriPlanar VII for the quickest attacks. Pair it with a Schroeder Reference for a richer harmonic envelope. Which is "better" is a matter of taste - I suspect most people would prefer the Schroeder/UNIverse combo. None of the other arms I've heard it on compare with those two for best synergy with ZYX's top model.
ZYX's are mid-compliance cartridges, so they're a fine theoretical match for JMW's and other medium mass arms. I've heard them on a Graham 2.2, TriPlanar VII and the Schroeder Two, DPS and Reference. People say they perform well on a Moerch DP-6, Nottingham Space Arm and other arms too. ZYX's are somewhat exacting as far as setup is concerned, so an easily adjusted arm helps. Once set up however, they do not place difficult demands on the arm, which some lower compliance cartridges do.
I'll disagree with Lugnut's otherwise excellent recommendations when it comes to the performance differences between ZYX models. In a sufficiently revealing system the differences are very significant.
There is no doubting the overall superiority of the Airy 3 over the Airy 2. The former's greater speed and dynamics are apparent in just a few moments. I could easily identify one from the other blindfolded in my own system after a minute or two. The Airy 2 has a slightly richer harmonic envelope, but that cannot quite make up for its relative slowness, at least to my ears.
The UNIverse is so far beyond both Airys it renders comparisons meaningless. If the rest of your rig and system are up to it, its ability to transport you right into the acoustic space where the music was recorded is uncanny. As Lugnut said, a UNIverse on an appropriate rig will bury your Meitner. IOW, if you don't want to risk obsoleting your digital source and collection then don't listen to one. Once you hear it there is no going back.
Pair a UNIverse with a TriPlanar VII for the quickest attacks. Pair it with a Schroeder Reference for a richer harmonic envelope. Which is "better" is a matter of taste - I suspect most people would prefer the Schroeder/UNIverse combo. None of the other arms I've heard it on compare with those two for best synergy with ZYX's top model.