Highest detail cartridges

Of the carts that are being mentioned I own three of them: the Lyra Delos, The ART-9, and the Soundsmith MIMIC Star. Personally I like the Delos the best, it has slightly more weight and better punch than the others, it also sounds more like real music to me. The ART-9 comes in 2nd, and sounds 90% of the Delos, just not as dynamic and maybe a little less detail, I mean a little. Finally the MIMIC Star is a good sounding cart but next to the other two it sounds a bit tame, soft and no where near as dynamic as the others. The MIMIC Star is OK, but for the price I was slightly disappointed in how it sounds. YMMV

Dear @bpoletti :   Highest detail ?. The overall frequency range is to wide to ask " detail " in all the range.

In my experiences what really make a differences for the better always are cartridge with good detail at both frequency extremes, both frequency ranges are the  frame of the whole music. and taking in count both frequency extremes my choice is the Colibri by a wide margin:

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis91i48-van-den-hul-colibri-xgp-gold-lw-new-latest-version-cartri...

Overall very hard to beat. Obviously that will be " limited " for the other audio items the Colibri is surrounded, well as any other cartridge but the Colibri is maybe more demandant than others.

R.

Ortofon Cadenza Blue.  Stunningly good cartridge with the right phono preamp.    

Chakster, Based on your own observations, it would seem that there is a dissociation between low "moving mass" and high levels of "detail retrieval", the latter being a very subjective judgement that requires a consensus among many listeners to be taken seriously, I think.  I know you like your Grado XTZ, but given its age, it is probably not advisable to take its performance as a paradigm for all other MI or IM types.  (I think those Grados are more properly thought of as IM [Induced Magnet], like my Acutex LPM320 and M320.)  My own Grado TLZ ain't what it used to be.  You also mentioned ZYX cartridges as being detailed; I would agree.

Dear @bpoletti : You posted: " +1 " to this post:

""" if the tone arm is able to track the cartridge correctly, then the actual choice of cartridge is far less important. ..... properly set up far overshadows the choice of cartridge. """

that’s a no-sense post due to unknowledge level on the overall subject.

Always the cartridge choice is important and everything the same NOTHING can " overshadows " the choice of cartridge and exist facts that confirm those:

in the same tonearm with the same audio system a Lyra Etna always will outperforms the Kleos as the Kleos beats the Delos one. If we make same comparison: the Colibri always beats the Black Beauty even in a non-top tonearm.

When everything is the same the cartridge choice can makes a difference for the better or worst and as I said nothing can overshadows it but a bad system .

If not, why cartridge manufacturers marketed so different cartridge models?, not only to cover different market price level but each single models ( no matter what. ) performs with different quality level. Lyra, Ortofon, VDH, Benz Micro Koetsu and almost every manufacturer works in the same way. They don't care to other parameter or audio item that its design quality levels at a price point.

Other than the LP the analog king is the cartridge, obviously that after the cartridge every single link in the audio system/room chain is important including our music/sound knowledge and skills levels.

I don’t know why you posted: " +1 " when in your post you attested the cartridge difference with the Clavis.

Anyway, good luck with your cartridge hunt.

R.