Soundsmith Optimized Contour Contact Line Stylus for Rebuild


I am having a cartridge, a Lyra Clavis DC "rebuilt" by Soundsmith.  I am considering a Soundsmith Optimized Line Contour Contact Line stylus on a ruby cantilever.  I'm asking for opinions of those who have used this stylus, the pro's and con's of the rebuild and whether it changed to sonic balance of the cartridge.  I guess I'm asking opinions on the success of the upgrade and whether the rebuild met or exceeded expectations.  I haven't made the final commitment, but the cartridge is in the hands of Soundsmith now.
bpoletti

Showing 4 responses by lewm

Again, Raul, the OP did not ask for a comparison between boron and ruby cantilevers.  He did ask for “opinions of those who used this stylus (referring to the SS Ruby cantilever/OCL stylus)”.  That’s what I wrote about, and only that.  I have never owned a Lyra cartridge because long ago I had the impression that Lyra cartridges were a little too “clinical” sounding for my taste.  That was based on one listening experience with one model.  I am willing to revisit Lyra cartridges, and for all I know, boron would sound better on a Lyra than would ruby.  But none of this issue was addressed in the OP’s original post. And now it seems that the Clavis DC may not in fact come with a boron cantilever.  I am eager to see how that plays out.
Raul
The OP asked about the SS ruby cantilever with OCL stylus, and I've had a relevant experience with it. He didn't ask whether his Lyra is better than a Grace Ruby, and I didn't make that comparison. What is your problem?
Dave, Can SS optionally install a boron cantilever with the OCL stylus?  Or was that possible only because your Lyra already had a boron cantilever?
To add to the positive sentiment, I had the OCL stylus with Ruby cantilever installed on my Grace Ruby, so the only thing different from original is the shape of the stylus tip (elliptical vs OCL).  I also own a second Grace Ruby still with its OEM elliptical stylus.  Once broken in, the OCL beats the elliptical, in my opinion, in my system.