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But then I have about 4 or 5 other MM cartridges which are also better than the Virtuoso...
Interesting. Which MMs do you like better than the Virtuoso?
That's a nice trip down vintage lane. Nice pics. How hard is it to find any of those cartridges today or keep them serviced? The more I read the more evidence I get that a good MC cart with a well matched SUT into my MM phono input may be my best option.
Cartridge preferences are often even more subjective than speakers,cables and arms IMHO.....and are very system and room dependent That said.....I haven't really heard a 'modern' MM cartridge which beats some of the vintage 'Classics' like the Signet TK-7LCa and TK-7SU
That's a nice collection of MMs, but I wouldn't agree that they would all beat a Virtuoso-level 3. I would add a few to that list, but whether or not you would like them better is a matter of taste and synergy.
A Signet TK 10ML, AT 20SS, or Grace ruby might?
All those cartridges in my system handily outperform the Virtuoso....I have another 25 or so which probably don't You see what I mean about subjective preferences and synergy...?I had both the Signet TK 10ML and AT 20SS Limited Edition...and found them similarly highly etched, lacking in tonal colour and devoid of emotional content... I sold them both....
While our assessment of the Virtuoso with an upgraded stylus is quite different (I'm not alone in this opinion), I doubt if JSM71 will be satisfied with one of your recommendations.
My .02 worth. The 13EA with an upgraded stylus is easily equivalent to the Maestro, although there are some who prefer the Vituoso (I don't have any experience with the Virtuoso). This sounds more like the MM vs MC debate. I, for one, happen to believe that the moving coils have an unnatural sound and prefer the moving magnets. I believe my friend Neo is in the camp which prefers the clinical, lean sound of moving coils. Don't shoot me!
But this thread is about Jsm71 and his desire for a "better" sound based on a friend's Lyra. I suspect, even if he got a MM he likes better than the Virtuoso he'll always be thinking "what if". You must admit that the majority of people playing records think MCs are better and most of them wouldn't look back. neo
Halcro: smiled at all the pics. did you use a macro lens?
I think the question now is which LOMC. I'm really not sure which cart would be best with that table. No doubt the Kleos would be better than Delos, but an Ortofon Cadenza Bronze (approx. $2K) should probably be considered. The Dynevector XX-2 is another. I really can't make a recommendation.
I'm not set on the Lyra Delos, but it is a cartridge that I've heard many times. My friend has a modified VPI TNT6 table and vintage SUTs. I think the Delos sounds quite similar tone wise to the Virtuoso except that is tracks better and quieter, and it is more detailed. I very much like the tone quality of the Virtuoso. I feel tone wise it is down the middle. I have bass and tweeter controls on my JansZen speakers so I have a bit of tone control there if needed. I mostly use the tweeter control to get the HF just the way I like it. The Ortofon and Dynevector you list have also caught my eye and both seem fairly well reviewed. How would they compare tone wise to the Lyra? My phono stage is the MM input on a Cary SLP-98P. I think it is a pretty good MM stage especially with NOS tubes making a noticable improvement. The Cary doesn't have any load adjustments and the design is pretty simple but well built. Like many tube preamps I suspect, tube changes are quite easy to detect. My last phono stage was a MM input on a McIntosh SS preamp. The Cary sounds better to my ears.I have read many accounts from people using good to great SUTs that feel running that input into a MM stage sounds better than many MC stages with load and gain controls. And this is from people with both MC and MM on their phono preamp. I'm not saying this is gospel, but it makes me feel that I can still get good life from a preamp that I like. Changing to a full feature phono stage that would outperform SUTs would surely be an expensive route.
A couple of things to keep in mind, you don't have a TNT and you're not going to get that bottom end solidity. .... I'm also surprised the Delos tracks better than your SS Virtuoso. No doubt your using different arms.
Is there an SUT in the quality (and price) range of Bob's Devices that is fully adjustable? I'm glad this is so straight forward and doesn't require a lot of thinking.
There's an interesting chart on Bob's site that has impedance on one side and output on the other. Find where the two intersect and you have the appropriate gain/step up ratio.https://www.bobsdevices.com/Moving-Coil-Step-Up-Transformers/