Lyra Delos Phono Cartridge Questions

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by avanti1960, Apr 2, 2021.

  1. Gibsonian

    Gibsonian Forum Resident

    Location:
    Iowa, USA
    1. Lyra
    2. Cadenza
    3. Art9
    4. Art9xa
    5. SSmith
     
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  2. wownflutter

    wownflutter Nocturnal Member

    Location:
    Indiana
    Considering the other parts of your system, I had the feeling that you'd love this cartridge.
    Be careful of the cantilever. After owning mine for awhile, I started getting a little relaxed with it and ended up snapping it off. I've heard of others doing the same thing.
     
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  3. wownflutter

    wownflutter Nocturnal Member

    Location:
    Indiana
    Has the design changed leading to a slightly lower recommended VTF, or are they recommending this new range for all Delos cartridges already in the field?
     
  4. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    I got mine in July, which I'm not sure if you'd classify that as recent, but just a FYI. To be honest, I am a very "follow the instructions" kind of guy so even though personally I can't fathom there being any sonic difference between 1.72 and 1.75, I basically shut my mouth and said "yes sir" and set it to what my contact told me to.
     
  5. wownflutter

    wownflutter Nocturnal Member

    Location:
    Indiana
    Lyra's website now has the adjusted numbers too.
    With it's unique construction, I can see how slight changes can make a difference. I'm going to try it with the new VTF for a whe and see.
     
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  6. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    lowered the VTF to the new recommended and it is sounding a little more open- possibly because of the few hours it has accumulated. spectacular sounding cartridge so far....
     
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  7. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    yup. My contact has a direct line with Jonathan and those recs come directly from him. They feel the VTF is crucial in making sure the coil is in its best alignment (or something along those lines)
     
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  8. Slippers-on

    Slippers-on Forum Resident

    Location:
    St.Louis Mo.
    When adding or subtracting VTA, it a great way to fine tune the sound, and for the most part we all do it, some more than others...... so we add a bit of weight to fine tune VTA which is effectively lowering the arm height and subtracting weight is like the effect of raising the back of the arm. So its a great way of fine tuning, but at the same time, we need to be careful....it can disturb the mechanical damping of the carts system and relationship the coils have with the magnets. I wouldn't mess around with it often.
     
  9. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    I agree. that’s part of the reason why AQ specifies a very narrow range for VTF for their carts - they’re setup to have a very specific relationship between the coils and magnets. For me, I set it at basically the value I was told and kept it there since.
     
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  10. Gibsonian

    Gibsonian Forum Resident

    Location:
    Iowa, USA
    Best I've heard. With your system and ability to setup a cart, I was sure you'd love it.

    More than I really wanna fork out but know I would love it on my TT.

    Have you gotten as far as the cost of a retip and who will do this cart? I know you are just breaking it in and you haven't yet hit the sweet spot yet, but I am curious...
     
  11. Slippers-on

    Slippers-on Forum Resident

    Location:
    St.Louis Mo.
    Same with me...I don’t fool with it much. While running in as a new cart , Initially I lower the arm a bit as it runs in and leave it until about 20 hours and suffer the sound until it is done changing. It’s always best to lower it initially....then raise never the opposite. Once it’s no longer changing in sound after said hours, I raise a little and check sound to my preference and set it. My force range is 1.8g - 2.2g. Recommended is 2.0g. My cart is best sounding dead level not high nor low and at The Sumiko recommendation of 2.0g. Sumiko Starling sings like the bird she is at recommendation. I never keep going back and forth during initial set up as not to disturb anything inward....The Delos has one of the smallest VTF ranges
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2021
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  12. edwyun

    edwyun Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    My guess - they may have used softer elastomers for the generators necessitating slightly less VTF.
     
  13. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    probably soundsmith but there is a long way to go.....
    if these babies really last 3000 hours as others have mentioned that is approx 8 years for me...
     
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  14. Slippers-on

    Slippers-on Forum Resident

    Location:
    St.Louis Mo.
    Clean records and proper set up, you should be close to that I would think.
     
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  15. Catcher10

    Catcher10 I like records, and Prog...duh

    Check around about SS retip on a Delos, IIRC reading about this may be best to trade in for a new one. A retip will change the sound character I believe, I know I have read that JCarr advises against this. Lyra does not rebuild carts, they will fix, re-adjust, re-align but once the stylus is past its days they will send you a new one on trade. I had a slight balance issue with mine after about 6 months and sent it back to Japan for JCarr to check, they sent it back to me in about 2 months. I got back a bench queen!! The cart was performing better than originally, all done under warranty, I just had to pay to ship to AQ they sent it to Japan.

    And yea as @Slippers-on mentions, with clean records and clean stylus you should get very close to that.

    Have fun!
     
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  16. tzh21y

    tzh21y Forum Resident

    Location:
    Buffalo
    I use a Arche headshell with the Lyra. Make all the difference in the world with that cartridge on the technics 1200G.
     
  17. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    not a fan of the design of that headshell. it has too many joints secured by small fasteners and has a weak overall structure compared to a solid pressure die casting. looks cool but that is about all. for 700 dollars they can keep it.
     
  18. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    fyi my delos has 12.6 hours and sounds great, very happy with it.
     
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  19. Daicehawk

    Daicehawk Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Russia
    Any comparison with AT33PTG/ii?
     
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  20. DaveyF

    DaveyF Forum Resident

    Location:
    La Jolla, Calif
    @OP Perhaps you have mentioned this, but could you tell us what loading value you use with your Delos?
     
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  21. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    FYI an update on the sound of my Lyra Delos cartridge.
    My preamp was down for a month and a half or so and I am just catching up playing some records.
    The Delos just clocked 33 hours and is definitely changing, not for the better.

    The new sound lately I would charcterize as a little bass heavy with slightly distorted upper midrange.
    Still very good sounding but that ultimate refinement seems to have left.
    I checked alignment, VTA, VTF and loading. Currently 58db gain, 200 ohms loading.
    I am being patient but thinking about putting the Ortofon Cadenza Blue back in, although I won't do it.
    I went through simlar changes breaking in my AT ART9 and it eventually came around.
     
  22. Dennis0675

    Dennis0675 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Do you think it could have anything to do with your pre amp situation or your ears settling back in after a long lay off?
     
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  23. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    i dont think so, been listening for a few weeks now. put on 13 hours in two weeks or so.
     
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  24. Dennis0675

    Dennis0675 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Two weeks is a good bit of time. What I’ve come to realize about myself in terms of listening is that after being away from my system for a period of time, I’m unreasonably enthusiastic. And conversely it hate almost everything new until I’ve heard it for a period of time. May not be relevant for you but a drastic change for the worse on a styles after 33 hours of use would be very uncommon.
     
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  25. I got to say, I’ve never heard anybody describe the Delos as bass heavy with distorted mids. Nor have I heard that from my Delos. Sounds like a VTA/VTF issue to me. If you’re sure it’s set up correctly I’d just stick with it. Maybe it’s a weird phase in the break in period. I bought mine slightly used and fully broken in so I can’t speak to how it sounds during that time frame.
     
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