ZYX Ultimate with carbon fiber cantilevers -- listener reviews?

@jjss49 i hope you know than R100 is an old model, lower that R1000 Airy 3 and way different from the Premium 4D. I doubt it can beat the ART-9, even my ART-2000 was as good or even better than more expensive R1000 Airy3. instead of the old ZYX you can also try vintage Monster Cable cartridges designed by Nakatsuka San. Even ADC-TRX MM was Nakatsuka San's design.     

@lewm you're right about UNI PRE cantilever - it's a kind of metal. I assume it's boron. But I do think you're a bit too cynical about the Zyx line as you put it. There is a substantive difference between the UNI II and the premium in my experience. I hear it pretty much the way Mr. Mak does in his review: the top end stays extended but the mid range thickens up (in a good way) and the bass goes deeper while remaining taught and detailed. It's not just repackaging to exploit the market imho. I bumped up to the premium when my UNI II broke and I didn't want to spend more money to stay in the same place. I didn't spend MSRP on the premium (and wouldn't) but I don't begrudge anyone who makes that choice. I mean, how is a $3k cartridge more 'logical' in the grand scheme of things than one that costs 3x more? 

Carbon fiber doesn't take to shock well at all.   I have a cf bike, and there was a caution that if should go down with it to have it checked by a competent tech.....I have cf in my car - when I accidentally rolled over a curb, I could see no damage at al, butI was told by the service dept that he would not allow me to drive the car until it was fixed.....2 months and 27000 dollars later.  Dropping a stylus on the record would probably take out the stylus.  I have no experience with this cart, but just sayin'

JollyT, You've got the experience of actually listening to the Universe line in your system.  So, I am in no position to doubt what you say.  If the Uni II and the Uni Premium are progressively better than the original Uni, then I guess I have something to look forward to, should I find either one at a good price.  By the same token, Chakster, it might be premature for you to judge the ZYX line if you have not heard any of the Uni's in your system.  Years ago, Doug Deacon posted a comparison of the Airy 4D to the original Uni, and he found the latter to be decidedly superior.  For my part, I would say that the Uni might end up superior to any of my vintage MM or MI cartridges (IMO, of course), but it's too soon to say. For sure, it's up there with the best of that bunch.

I have owned the ZYX Airy 3, Original UNIverse, and 4D cartridges.
The 4D was actually my favorite of those three.
Now, there may be other reasons for that. The Airy 3 and original UNIverse that I owned had the silver coils, whereas the 4D had the copper coils.

However, the fact that ZYX changed the body design of the UNIverse II to look more like the 4D might also imply that others thought the 4D, which was released about 5 years after the original UNIverse design, may have been a better cartridge design.