Zyx Universe Break In

There's mucho written here on the UNIverse, and some of Doug Deacon's reviews you'll find as well, read them, I highly recommend it, as Doug is the UNI Guru, and the strongest of all ZYX proponents.

I own the Uni's little sister, the Airy 3X SB. yes, the first thing I noticed was uncanny silence in the groove, and a good sound right out of the box new, but there was something I just couldn't put my finger on?

Yes, that was one thing I noticed was sibilance at first. Tony Bennet's voice on "San Fransico", was horrid, the SSss's were way way over-exagerated. And the ZYX "sound" after some readings, and evaluations by others, I put a finger on this malady, and the characteristic was a very good description by others.... the sound was "mechanical".

I started thinking about my alignment, damping fluids, but thought some more, and one error I concluded I made, was, I was following what others liked as far as optimum VTF settings, (relatively low, like 1.83g) sat and thought, and then surmised that I might be tracking this Cartridge a bit too light, upped the VTF to an even 2.00g, and things did get better.

I remembered Doug's, and other's advice, that break in times, would be lenghty with this Cartridge, in the vicinity of 100-150 hours total.

The Airy 3X didn't seem so sensitive to VTA, but seem sensitive to VTF. The UNIverse on the other hand, I understand is very sensitive to both VTA, and VTF.

These two Cartridges, while they may not share the same innards, share as I understand the same Cantilever, and Stylus, and probably the very same Cantilever Suspension.

Doug has noted even changes in weather have dictated minor adjustments in VTF to his the UNI's sweet spot.

I would probably lean towards the heavier suggested VTF during the initial hours of play, so better solidity is heard. and then, perhaps after a number of logged in hours, can you then begin to fine tune VTA, VTF, and then even try different loading settings.

Dependent upon Phono Stage, you will then find, after the 100, or so hours of play, a setting which suits your system, and your ears. PS: Again, chat with Doug, he'll help you squeeze the best from this killer Cartridge! Mark

To reiterate what has been said, I think important things to check, will be of course, as others have mentioned, highly critical attention to proper Cartridge alignment. This pretty much is a given with such world class Cartridges, and you'll note virtually all the boys here, with wheter it was a Lyra Titan, a ZYX Universe, a Dynavector DRT XV-1, a Koetsu, A Benz LP, the boys all love the MintLP Protractor!

And the boys here have taught me, that while one should use the ear as the final criterion, the lack of good tools is I feel a shortcoming, and you'll note most of the fellas usually have darn good Digital Scales, capable of .01g resolution accuracy in thier arsenals.

The don't have to cost an arm, and a leg, like the Winds Scale, and many can be found cheap at places like Old Will Knott Scales. While many like the old venerable Shure SFG-2, this is a scale that falls short when setting up Cartridges like the ZYX.

The Airy 3, and UNiverse's sound will noticably change with very minor changes in VTF as little as .1g.

Doug, and others will tell you, repeatability, is just as important as accuracy with a good scale. I found a cheapie at the pre-mentioned site for $32 shipped which is dead accurate, the Proscale LC-50, a Clearaudio Weight Watcher clone.

I'm sort of doubting loading plays much importance at first as far as VTF, and VTA, but loading will as well be all over the place, and I suggest just sticking to what others suggest with the UNIverse. Then maybe after a good number of hours, try something different for kicks, it cannot hurt anything. Mark

Probably after what has been written, you might be saying to yourself, "Oh man, maybe I made a mistake buying this Cartridge, if this Cartridge is that particular, and picky about set up"?

While I don't own this particular Cartridge, I'd probably be safe to assume, and say, that like many other top quality world class MC Cartridges out there, time must be given for break in, the better the Toneamm, the better it will be able to showcase such a fine Cartridge.

And of course critical attention paid to proper set up, compatibility down the line of Phono Stage, and it's settings.

But, I don't believe any of these Cartridges from ZYX entry level, to the UNIverse, and beyond, are so tempermental-touchy, that one absolutely has to fiddle with both VTA, and VTF on a per record basis, otherwise the sound will be so totally flawed to be unlistenable.

By saying this, Doug D certainly isn't overdoing it, or has any afflictions of any sort, that he feels that things could be better, etc, by doing this-doing that by tweaking-adjusting. As for 99% of the rest of us, the UNI, can probably be set up, left alone once correct, and things will sing quite nicely, without the need of fussing with it every other day, or multiple times per listening session.

If a Cartidge was that fussy, this is certainly not an advantage, or a good quality, and I think Doug will agree, the UNiverse doesn't realy require such fanatisism, unless you're looking to squeeze the very last bit of performance. When it gets to that level, there are no doubt other issues within the system falling far short, than the UNI not being able to handle the music thrown at it.

Still, there's good advice in periodically checking things.

I know Doug doesn't stop in here as often as he has in the past, but may chime in, offer experiences, and doubtful there's anyone here who can contribute more to what the UNI is, and what it can do.

I'm sure Doug, and the rest would agree, that extension at both ends of the frequency spectrum will become better. Deeper, lower, tighter, cleaner bass response, and the high frequency will become better, smoother, clearer, and that the sibilance issues, rawness will wane-subside with time.

That slightly mechanical sound I noted on my Airy 3X is going away, the sound is becoming more organic, and analog sounding, smoother, and as others have mentioned, the sound becomes better, and better as hours of break in accumilate.

My own Cartridge seems to be Cartridge that doesn't lie, or sweeten-hype less than stellar recordings, it's like a reference studio monitor speaker, yet I notice many records I've owned, and played over the years do seem more listenable with the Airy 3X, and this is no doubt due to the Micro-Line Stylus doing its thing, reaching deeper into the groove, which no Cartridge before, has touched, Mark