ZYX R 1000 Sigma X - thoughts, comments, reviews


Have an opportunity to purchase a ZYX R 1000 Sigma X cartridge and have not been able to find much information on the cartridge. Most forum threads and reviews are about the UNIverse. Have searched the Sorasound sight with no luck. Finally went to the Japanese distributor sight, Sibatech and was able to find out a little bit more info. On their sight they list the Airy 3, Cosmos 4 series, and the Sigma. My question is the UNIverse the same as the Sigma? Or is the UNIverse the same as the 4 series? Anyone familiar with the sound of the Sigma, or know of any reviews? My analog system consists of Clearaudio Maximum with Graham 2.3. Cables are Siltech Avalon and Compass Lake with Brinkman phono amp. Preamp and Amps are JRDG Coherence 1 and heavily modified Model 7's. Speakers are SF Guanari Mememto's with Siltech Emperor. This cartridge would supplement a Benz Micro M2. Thanks for your thoughts/comments.
Ag insider logo xs@2x94968

Showing 2 responses by markd51

First, I'd like saying at least provide us your first name at the end of your posts, don't be bashful, we're basically a very kind, close knit bunch here! :-)

Doug's gonna give you straight-forward, accurate, and basically a non-biased advice. IMO, he's one of the very best contributors here, and he has immensely helped me over the past year. He knows his beeswax, and he's also a kind considerate man.

I'm sure you found out some about this Cartridge, that I assume it posseses a Pure Diamond Rod Cantilever.
Great maybe for bragging rights, but as Doug, (and the master in Japan) says, your money might be better spent with the UNIverse? Or?

Although I of course, living in the "Land of Enchantment", where 95% of people don't even know who McIntosh, Krell, or Mark levinson is, buy thier audio goodies from Wally World, I'd like saying this.....

A system, no matter how good, will only ever give a glimpse at what we hope to hear, or try to remember.

That special concert we once attended, and got goosebumps. To see out favorite Artists perform, blow our minds, and we try to remember back, and we try to get re-involved, and enraptured.

It is our escape, our joy, our relaxation, out little "corner of the world", which we all hold sacred, and dear.

Like an amateur Astronomer, trying to squeeze every last bit from his/her prize, very costly instrument, using the very best, rare Zeiss Orthoscopic Eyepieces, Dew Heaters, precision Mounts, mirrors, and lenses with 1/20 Wave accuracy, we try to step back to those special moments.

I've been very happy with my Airy 3X SB that Doug Suggested I try. Mehran made it happen here in the USA, and he is superb to deal with.

As I close, the important criterion I believe to consider, is, address the weak points in your audio system. Room acoustics, placement, speakers, and other downline components are just as important.

What good is a $10,000 Cartridge, if the rest of your system cannot showcase it? Best of luck! Mark

David/All, Well truthfully, Doug had concerns that an AQ Unipivot Arm would be able to control any possible wooliness that the Airy 3X might display. I had real concerns as well if the compliance of the Arm, and it's design would let the Airy 3 operate like it is supposed to.

I didn't find the Airy 3 to be quite so sensitive to VTA adjustments, as it's played quite well not getting to particular in this rrgard, but I did notice VTF settings were sensitive, particularly when the Cartridge was fresh from the Box (a nice Box BTW)

I found due to the bvery high quality of this Cartridge, that stricter attention needed to be paid to precise VTF, and as wll, critical alignment.

The Turtable Basics Protractor that Doug initially suggested many months ago was good, and better than probably many more expensive Tractors, but the Mintlp Protractor, which many have found to be a godsend from Yip in HK, to be the cat's meow.

As I found out before the hard way in the past, one wishes to be cool, and perhaps dial in a prescribed VTF setting, and think that "Oh, Joe Smith says 1.83g is working killer with his Airy 3", and let me try the same, and see what happens?

That setting might be fine for a broken in ZYX Airy, but it wan't fine for my new one at first. I went through the bit of mechanical sound for a few hours, and then noted what appeared to be distortion-sibilance from mistracking. S's sound raw, raspy, edgy, distorted, lacked purity, and solidity.

I then went to 1.93g, and it was better, and then tried an even 2.0g for the heck of it, and it seemed all rawness vanished, and the meager AQ PT-8 (now a new AQ PT-9 on board) was able to "handle" this cartridge.

I also suspect the money, and time spent (almost 2 hours setup) with the Mintlp Tractor was a very wise one. In time, I will probably be able to start to cautiously-carefully back off on VTF, with even more improvements, when the time is right.

My previous Cartridge, the Benz Ruby 3, was very nice, smooth, clean, pure, but I do enjoy the qualities the Airy 3 has brought. Mark