Soundsmith - Hyperion vs lyra ETNA

Right now EMT 6.0 Brinkman oasis, Analysis plus phono cable, 
Shindo Masseto with AU 23- SUT, CJ LP125+ amp, AQ Thunderbird speaker cable. Wilson Sabrina speakers. 

You are right. The EMT is not in the same category. That is why I'm looking to upgrade. I know the soundsmith and the Lyra are the next level. I'm more looking to see about the character. If the EMT had a "next level" I think I would be moving up the line. The new SS Hyperion  Is the only thing I have heard that can give the ETNA a run. Would love to hear if anyone has xp with both.

If you mean mid range bump by warm, no. I would disagree with that. I Would say the timber is very honest.  it’s on the darker side though. It’s clashing between transparent and dark. I cannot say I’m lacking detail.  The AQ zero gets a lot out of the components.  As far as music, your typical hifi junk, Jazz vocals, Elvis Presley to dire straits.  I’m sitting roughly at 200 records. 
I could see the sound Smith or the Lara both doing really well. I think the Lara Would at youth. I think the sound Smith would just get out of the way.  

Karl, any experience with EMT? I have heard the Alas a few times and it’s either perfect or too sharp and on the verge of thin in the upper register. With Vandersteens it was perfect.   Etna just losses that. And perhaps you’re  right, the Atlas is very realistic. The new SpundSmith cactus cantilever sounds really integral and interesting. 

@karl_desch 
I also have a broken Lyra Helicon setting in a shelf because it was going to be 1700 and 6 months to rebuild it. 
@dodgealum 
I own the emt 6.0 I dont know how to explain it. I can best compare to Harbeth speakers. They tell me the same things. Very clear and yet British, but I would not call it warm. Honest dynamics.
I got to hear it back to back against an Etna. The first 5 mins the Etna beat it in every way. It was more dynamic more clear more wow, but after that 5 min I wanted the EMT back. Maybe a part of that was 3k I would save. I was just enjoying myself just a little bit more with the EMT. via this thread I have it down to the EMT platinum and the SoundSmith. I just dont know what you get and lose between the 2. 

@drrsutliff
I would say that would be so with the VPI combo. They are known to be a good match. I have heard that VPI and Lyra can be too much of the same thing. 

So I ended up going with a new EMT. The EMT Lime. Here is why.
I called a dealer that sold both EMT and SoundSmith..  Feed back went a fallows.
Soundsmith was more coherent, cleaner and a bit more polished sounding. EMT came off with a bit more texture detail, a touch more forward, but only when called upon.  Splitting hairs EMT is more tonally accurate and darker, but that was if you have to have to address a non existing issue in the name of nit picking. I got the idea EMT had more grip. .That was the gist. The new EMT lime with the sapphire cantilever and new coils is a special treat.. I guess
 NOTE: This was him putting it against a 5k SoundSmith. The Hyperion he  said can be system dependent. If you get it right its mind blowing.. I dont know if @arion would agree.
I get the emt in 2 weeks. I will fallow up.

@dodgealum @dodgealum  honestly. That’s what they recommend.  I think there about the same thing.  I own the 6.0 now. It’s amazing. That’s why I’m staying in the line.  It does have a ceiling. A very high one, but it’s there.  Nothings wrong it’s just runs out of high-fi head room at some point. All my gear is in the 15K range. If you know something about the black that I don’t please let me know. 

Lime gets in tomorrow. It was set up by a really high end dealer on a brinkmann oasis.  I will let you know  by the end of the week. The fella that set it up said it’s sounding really good. It was his first time with an EMT and sounded really delighted. Can’t wait. But I’ll be honest if it’s not all I hoped for. 

@fjn04   @dodgealum 
  Concerning the the EMT lime.. I will start with the words of my wife while listing to Nora Jones. "All I can say is it sound perfectly real" She has an ear, knows the gear and goes to the shows. Never had I heard such a perfect mix of tone, bloom and speed. You almost dont need any of these adjectives to help explain how close it is. its just real.. It has such a real tone. Its coherent, but not clean or over polished. 1950 recordings have that sound of old anlog mixing boards. Somehow it brings out new tones textures without getting too fast or thin. Very authentic reproduction is all I can say. Do I think its a giant killer? yes.


 I have been though my paces of cartridges. I would say not a coherent as Soundsmith, but more micro texture and more shift in tones. Not as deep and dynamic as lyra,but more authentic.
 A part of me whats to listen to wonderful sounding music. Another part of me whats to win awards for my machine that I have created ( that don't exist)  This would be a cornerstone of my award winning performance.  


Warnings. It starts of sounding like total trash and stays that way for about 15 hours and then very slowly takes off. VTA.. The closest to perfect zero you can get the better. I took it in and they have the equivalent to the Hubble  telescope for a vta  tool and it made a world of difference. they say 2.4 tf. im at a very light 2.5. When my hifi journey started this is the kind of sound I wondered if it would possible in my own home. 
right now I am running Wilson Sabrina's. Tomorrow I will pick up Focals Sopra 3's. Totally different speaker. We will see what she does on there.