ZYX Airy 3 or Atmos

First things first. Why would a Gallant Diva even need a stereo? Couldn't you just sing for us, please? Of course if you're a male diva, and gallant, you should be asking me for a date!

FWIW, I'd rarely agree that upgrading to a high level cartridge should be the first step. A revealing cartridge can easily expose flaws in table, arm or phono stage. OTOH, the very attractive prices of Mehran's remaining inventory do argue for taking a chance, especially if you're prepared to upgrade other components in a reasonable time frame.

BTW, tables, arms and phono stages may be long term investments. Cartridges? Not necessarily. It depends on the longevity of the elastomers and whether you can get it properly retipped when needed. It's unknown whether the elastomers in this generation of ZYX's will hold up for the long haul. Retipping with a ZYX stylus does not seem to be available, and ZYX's stylus is key to its performance. Not trying to discourage, but make sure you understand this may not be a "long term investment".

... wonder if Atmos would fall short in treble and sound too bass-heavy.

Not a chance of the former. The Atmos's HF's are better than the Airy 3's, much better. It's every bit as extended, it adds less overhang to each note, it's faster and it's clearer. Among ZYX's, only the UNIverse does HF's better.

I hope we didn't imply the Atmos was shy in the highs. It's not. No ZYX is shy in the highs. Due to its stylus, every ZYX above the Bloom has arguably more extended and clearer highs than any other brand. Remember our perspective: UNIverse owners reviewing a lower model. The Atmos did not quite match the UNIverse for HF's. Neither does any other cartridge (in our experience). That wasn't a criticism of the Atmos, just a comparison with a cartridge that's in another league in this parameter.

Whether you'd find an Atmos too bass heavy is hard for anyone else to say I guess. It didn't sound so to us. We enjoyed its heft but we prefer the greater transparency, speed, resolution, immediacy and bottomless sound floor of the UNIverse; and the Atmos does all of those things better than the Airy 3.

Regarding vocals, we agree and enjoy them daily. A little jazz but mostly tons of classical: opera, lieder, cantatas, madrigals, etc. (Most pop vocalists annoy us because they rarely know where the notes are, unless they're named Ella.) Currently we're playing through our 70 LP set of Harnoncourt's Bach cantatas, which typically feature four soloists, chorus and a small chamber orchestra. Harnoncourt's recordings were marvelously intimate, clear, present and lifelike - and they're terribly challenging to reproduce well in a home system. If you want to hear what a system can't do, these LP's will tell you.

The Atmos is superior to the Airy 3 no matter what type or aspect of vocals you enjoy. Again, it doesn't quite match the UNIverse's shocking "OMG, s/he's standing RIGHT THERE, alive in front of me!" experience, but it gets as close as all but a tiny number of cartridges. I've personally heard only one cartridge almost match the UNIverse in this respect, plus another that might have if we'd had time to optimize it. I've never heard any cartridge do it better. The Atmos certainly comes closer than the Airy 3. As we said, it's better in EVERY way...

Any ZYX (with the SB weight) will match your arm fine. If you go for Atmos or UNIverse I wouldn't bother upgrading to a Moerch. That would be a baby step, and those two carts need giant steps to display all they can do. Your table, arm and phono stage would all need major upgrades to come anywhere near their level. Be careful of what you're getting into, like me it won't be cheap!

Read the reviews beneath my name (if you haven't already). That'll give you a sense of their sonic differences, which are considerable.

Do not waste your money on the high output (.48mv) version of any ZYX. I've A/B'd three models against the low output version (.24mv). In all cases the LO model was decidedly superior, perfectly consistent with the theory of minimizing mass on the armature.

You must decide between copper, silver or gold coils. When Mehran/Sorasound had the line, there was no cost difference. The new dealer charges substantially more for silver or (especially) gold. That's okay, because the copper coils are the most dynamic and neutral. The silver coils are a bit smoothed, relaxed and Koetsu-ish. The gold coils are just sleepy. Again, perfectly consistent with the theory of minimizing armature mass.

The Michell arm is a Rega clone with an eff. mass of ~11g (from memory, correct me if wrong). Whichever of these two carts you choose, get the optional SB weight. It's beneficial on any arm with an eff. mass of < 18g or so. Bass and dynamics suffer without it.

In theory, the 3-4g heavier Airy 3-SB is a better arm match for an 11g arm. In practice, on my 11g TriPlanar, the Atmos easily outperformed in every sonic parameter. See those reviews. The Airy 3 also sends more energy back into a tonearm, it needs a well controlled arm (or a laid back system) to avoid a trace of edginess when new.

I assume your custom X-2 preamp includes sufficient phono gain and appropriate impededance, or you can modify if necessary. (It sounds interesting and you're right on the money that power supply desing and execution is key. I've no doubt it stomped your L*** model L*, which isn't hard to do IME. One of the most overpriced, underperforming lines I've heard.)

The Atmos/4D is definitely worth the price differential in my system/to my ears. Whether you'd enjoy it enough more is anyone's guess, but I don't think arm compatibility is going to be a significant factor. Concentrate on sonics and budget.

GD,

Remember, I cautioned even about going so high as Atmos with your current gear. I wouldn't consider UNIverse unless you're committed to upgrading table, arm and phono stage. It wouldn't sound "bad", probably, but you wouldn't begin to get your money's worth either. The magic I seductively described requires investments of both money and time.

Regarding Raul's MM campaign, I bought an Ortofon on his recommendation but haven't had time yet to mount it up. Another project...

I agree the ultimate test is what our own ears tell us. Reading what others have heard can only guide us so far.

I find it helps if strangers explain their perspectives, just as you asked about vocals. That's why I blah, blah on so. Paul and I have learned that our perceptions and tastes differ markedly from many other audiophiles, so others need to know where we're coming from. Likewise, Paul and I have developed fairly reliable filters for assessing reports from audiophiles who's systems we've personally heard. When A'gon member XXXX tells us something sounds "cleaner and more detailed", we may understand it's been stripped of natural harmonics and sounds barren and artificial. But we would only know this if we've heard his system or the component he's describing. Reports from strangers are harder to assess.

Dracula teeth? Yum... do you sparkle in sunlight?

Seriously, we live in central CT and have hosted enjoyable music/audio visits from quite a few Audiogoners over the years. Some of them are now poorer in the bank but richer in the music. You'd be welcome if that would help.

Fro,

In my experience, TriPlanar VII and Schroeder Reference (my preference being for the former).

Also Graham Phantom, by reports of several owners who've compared with one or both of the above arms and found it at least their equal for a top ZYX (and other carts).

I expect there are others...

The DP-6 is brilliant at its price point, but the Atmos and UNIverse were not designed for price points. Each was the ultimate expression of Nakatsuka-san's ideas and craft at the time he designed it. The UNIverse in particular repays every improvement in a system by providing more of the music. Shortchanging it by using a second tier arm just wouldn't make sense (just my opinion of course). FWIW, I know two UNIverse/DP-6 owners who upgraded to TriPlanar and were stunned by the improvement.

Ish,

Sorry for not responding to your email, I plead holiday madness. Now I'm back at work with more free time!

First, congrats on your new rig. Great way to start a new year.

Regarding cartridges, I haven't heard a 3009R in ages, and never with a ZYX, so take the following FWIW.

I've heard UNIverses on SME IV and V arms in several systems, though not in my own. There was never anything objectionable - the sound was solid and coherent - the owners were happy. Yet those familiar with the UNIverse on Schroeder or TriPlanar arms realized that the cartridge’s full palette was missing. Those SME models lacked transparency to low level details and harmonics. In Arthur Salvatore’s terminology, they had a higher sound floor.

A full palette of harmonics and details is largely what distinguishes a UNIverse from an Atmos/4D. If one is committed to an arm that masks the palette then the costlier cartridge might prove unproductive. IF my experiences with the IV and V translate to a 3009R, I’d expect an Atmos/4D to realize more of its potential, yielding more value for your investment.

Not trying to rain on the parade, just data points for your consideration.

Doug