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I have joined in the ZYX Family

Funny how change comes about. I’ve been intending to get a tube preamp for years 10-12 years. Instead, I got a tube amp which sounds great. . Tube amp with SS preamp sounds GREAT. FWIW, the SS Preamp was a Stereophile Class A Conrad Johnson PFR. So, its not like I was shooting in the dark. The PFR is a really good preamp. And the Bob Latino ST-70 seems to be a great fit along with the Silverline Sonatas. So I set out to get my turntable up to its optimum. I have a Teres 340 which has an Origin Live Illustrious 3 with Benz Ebony L cartridge. I put the OL Illustrious on it as a temporary arm. I figured the Teres deserved much better. But Maybe I am wrong. It sounds great. However, being an audiophile, I can’t leave it alone. So I set out to get a new tonearm worthy of the Teres 340. But then someone reminds me that a cartridge will make more difference than a tonearm upgrade, especially since the tonearm is a pretty good one. . So I consider the idea and come across a ZYX 4D for a good price. Thank you Raulirigueus(sp) for the idea. In the process, I saved some $$$ too. I’ve wanted a ZYX for quite some time. NOW, I see what all the fuss is about. This cartridge is fabulous. Next up is to clean the electric. Oneac seems to be a good way to go. But, who knows. My plans often go sideways. But I’ve really made some big steps forward thanks to some good advice and the good Lord above who over rules my ignorance. FWIW I often pity those who miss the beauty of good music. I love it. Thanks for your help along the way.
128x128artemus_5
don_c55
823 posts
 
@nandric

I do not buy used cartridges - ever! I buy new. I also do not have them retipped or rebuilt.

New ZYX cartridges do show up on Audiogon by dealers other than SoraSound at a big discount.

Ralph’s Universe cantilever was probably viewed by XYZ as abuse IMO.

The boron cantilever is durable under "normal" use, but might break with rough cleaning, or an arm drop onto the Lp.

Ralph’s products are sold by SoraSound, so you would think he would give Ralph a new cartridge as a courtesy. SoraSound screwed Ralph IMO.
chakster's avatar
chakster
2,482 posts
 
@nandric

All exotic cantilevers can’t be pressure fitted with

whatever stylus so the stylus need to be glued in such cantilevers.

See our cantilever discussion with J. Carr. Your pretentions by

far exceed your knowledge. We already have had such dispute

about Technics 205 styli suspension failure which you deny but

never provided any proof except your own convinction.


I saw Carr’s posts, but it is not what i’m talking about, i have provided the link of very good picture in high resolution https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DMCAEMLWAAA2x8G.jpg:large , on that picture anyone can see the part of the tall nude Micro Ridge diamond on top and on the bottom of the Boron cantilever, which means the diamong go throught the tube. If you know any other manufacturer who use the same construction in modern cartridges plz let me know. My point is that it was patented by ZYX or just an exclussive ZYX design (Nakatsuka-San will not use this method without good reason). As far as i know no one actually use this method or even similar cantilever construction among the modern retippers. Retipper use huge amount of glue arount the tip visible by naked eye, but on ZYX own cantilever i can’t see any glue even on macro lens. Maybe it’s inside the tube, but the effective mass of the tip is very low on ZYX cartridges.

For the second part of your comments i’m surprised that you still don’t believe that some of Technics 205c mk4 (and even 100c mk3) in fact were refurbished by your friend Axel in Germany. I got a few pictures for you below.

here is my original 205c mk4 in perfect condition:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DMImN1rWkAAtqx0.jpg:large

and this is refurbished 205c mk4 with nagaoka boron cantilever and glued elliptical stylus tip, also look at the alluminum collar around the cantilever. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DMIlZ_OW4AIFaSA.jpg:large

If it’s not enough look at refurbished Technics EPC 100c mk3 https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DMIq61hXUAA_9hF.jpg:large

Suspension repaired on all of them, Axel did the job for Foxtan who supplied him many cartridges. I bought them from Foxtan as the originals, but he cheated me using my lack of knowledge at that time, in fact i bought refurbished 205c mk4 carts for the price if the originals (so never trust the foxtan). The sound was very good, so i was happy about them and never actually looked on them with macro lens. The 100c mk3 was the original but suspension was dead, but foxtan sold it to me as a good one, then i returned the cart to him for repair and it took a half year to get it back refurbished. Later jpjones told me the cart’s cantilever does not looks like the original! But the foxtan told me his master worked only on damper (what a cheater) and how naive i was at that time. you have promoted Exel so much on audiogon that i decided to send him my 100c mk3 for inspection and i was very surprised when he told me it was him who did the job for foxtan with my cartridge back in the day, he recognized his own work! I asked for details and Axel told me he used Nagaoka Boron Catilevers with Elliptical tip on that carts. The refurbished 205c mk4 looks exactly the same (also his old work).

When i managed to get the original 205c mk4 i realized how much better this original cartridge sounded! One of my friend still use the refurbished axel’s version.

I own many cartridges because i like them, and i'm happy to sell doubles, but i do never sell bad cartridges like some other people do, i remember my own experience with dishonest sellers and all the disappointments about it.
nandric's avatar
nandric
3,263 posts
 

Dear don_c 55, I am sorry for my assumption. I thought that all

participants in this thread bought some or other ''cart of the month''

which are (the most) from the 80is. There were few exceptions which

were in NOS state. The most however were used so , I assume,

those should be count as second hand. There are people who

prefer new things but also people who are fond about antiques.

For those who intend to buy whatever ZYX kind your information

is very important. Even for the ''brand new'' samples (grin).

I myself would never buy a cart with defective coils. The reason

is that nobody is willing to mess with coils.

Raul, I think, introduced the expression ''refurbishing''. Like his

other ''concepts'' inscrutable. He never explained what this

means. Reasoning from the ''concept'' what can be fixed or

improved by a cart we think such things like retip (both kinds),

new suspensin and/or better suspension. I don't believe that

anybody proposed magnets change. The coils are, say, only

theoretical possibility.

nandric's avatar
nandric
3,263 posts
 

Dear chakster,

1. premise : all exotic cantilevers are brittle (boron,saphire and

beryllium). Because of this property  they will shatter if one

would try to pressure fit a stylus in them.

2. premise : the advantage of aluminum as cantilever material is

that a stylus can be pressure fitted such that an better connection

can be reached between both parts. Something to do with ''rigidity''.

To put this otherwise: glue between stylus and cantilever is not

a good idea in the mentioned sense: rigidity.

How difficult is it to deduce conclusion from those two premises?

Is it possible that this genius solution which nobody considered

is a piece of aluminum tube in which the stylus is pressure fitted.

In addition this may explain whay no glue can be seen. However

do you have the right to call your cantilever ''boron'''. There is

an aluminum tube behind the boron part and also in front of

the boron part (aka ''the nose''). Those are two versus one.

Now the Technics 205 styli kinds. I am not sure if I used quantor

''all'' or ''most''. Anyway I said nothing about oher kinds.

I hope I used the expression ''most'' such that your sample or

samples by coincidence have had good suspension.

I owned two 205 mk 3 styli neither of which could be fixed by

Axel nor by the guy from the ''styli clinic''(?). The difference was

that Axel charged nothing but this American charged $100.

BTW my intention was exactly ''the same'' as Don's: to warn

my co-members.


chakster's avatar
chakster
2,482 posts
 
Andy completely fu***ed up jpjones technics 100c mk4 and he's definitely is not the right person to deal with. 

Axel's price for refurbishing was up to 400 euro to replace the whole system aka cantilever/stylus and new suspension. 

Nakatsuka-San patented so many innovations for his ZYX carts, i think the cantilever construction is one of them. 

At the same time Noriyuki Miyajima stated that Boron cantilever does not make his Shilabe or Kansui cartridge any better, but in the latest Madake he use exotic Bamboo cantilever with alluminum collar. Cross Ring was his patent. 
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