Bad experience with ZYX AIRY 3

Dear Chris, Tom and friends: Problems on ZYX?: soft at both extremes. Chris I think that I have a full range system: flat in room from 20 Hz to 30 kHz.

I really don't know the kind of resolution that have your ( each one )audio systems and that " resolution " is a very important subject to make any evaluation/comparison between different audio systems..We can take a look to the Chris ( Cmo ) system: it has the ML Prodigys that, in the best room and with the right electronics , could goes flat from 30/35 Hz to 22 kHz: here Chris can't " keep his eyes/ears " on the quality bass sound reproduction. He is using and external phonostage that needs additional cables and connectors for be linked to his preamp and that phonostage use additional stages through the SUTs for high gain output, the amplifier has a high output impedance of around 1 Ohm and this impedance preclude a flat frequency response due to the interaction with the electrical impedance of the Prodigys, all the Chris tube electronics are coupled through additional transformers and capacitors.

All these issues tell me that Chris can't hear the " soft sound " at the frequency extremes: too many " veils ", too many colorations and distortions, a lot of " equalization " to the original signal. But not only Chris is in this case: several other people " suffer " this " stage ".

The other factor that disturb to me is: against what reference do you all are doing your evaluation/comparison?:
this is what Tom post about the Universe:

+++++ " There is absolutely NO STRESS or edginess with this cartridge, and dynamics while very fast, are just a bit short of the mark ... " +++++

Tom, the live music has " STRESS and edginess ", no question about.
As you know and I posted several times my reference is always: LIVE MUSIC and this makes a great differences between what many of you evaluated in front what I evaluate about.

Cello: +++++ " The problem is that Raul shows up every time a ZYX thread appears and proceeds to post and bash the ZYX line... " +++++

Larry, I'm not bashing anything, the real problem is that with your audio system ( that I respect ) you can't hear what I'm telling about, that's all. Be happy.

Btw, the important point here is that you all are extremelly satisfied with ZYX cartridges and this subject is what matters for all of us: sustain in that " road " !!!!

Tom, tks on your offer on SUTs but I already have all the experiences about and that's why I don't use it.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Thanks again Doug,your suggestions are what I'm working towards.Mehran has givin me great service and I've committed to his Airy2 demo sale.I'm sure I'll be upgrading again,what else is new.I'm looking forward to the SB feature,my Fuji doesn't have it.I guess there'll be a Fuji R100-FS H on the market very soon,personel plug, ha ha.Regards Mike

Raul,

Thanks for your thoughtful response to my post. My system page needs updating, sorry. I am now running Avantgarde Duo 3.2's, Art Audio PX-25, Aesthetix Callisto sig, etc...... The system is "full range" (if 20-20k is what you call full range).

Although I have not had experience with every top MC cart out there, I know and understand music and musical reproduction.......... The ZYX is not "soft" at the extreems (I am guessing that by "soft" you mean it doesn't reproduce these frequency's accurately (For that matter, what exactly do you mean?)). I think you are right in that it does not have the leading edge def. of the Lyra and Clearaudio carts........ Is this what you mean as soft?

As for a stereo system (even yours) reproducing a "live" musical event........... sorry to rain on your parade. There isn't a system out there that can reproduce the real thing....... In the end, what we are all doing is reproducing a recording (which is a reproduction of the original event in the first place). So please don't talk to me about "veils" .......... I have spent too many years actually playing a musical instrument (that's me "live"), mixing "live" music, and recording "live" musicians to fall for that old cliche'.

Chris

Thom,thanks for such an informative post!Unfortunately I was not able to digest it with the usual level of "low stress factor",that I usually enjoy,when a thread goes to this length!The reason for this was,my daughter kept whinning for me to get off her computer,so she could go online,and order another "Handbag of The Month"!

Normally I like to print out lengthly posts of this quality,to "digest",while enjoying the leisure of a long lunch break!Had you been considerate enough to give us a "heads up",as to how "good a read" this was going to be,you'd have saved me some grief -:)

My advice to you is twofold:
Firstly, when you DO think you have such interesting info,to post,please be so kind as to preface it with an "advanced warning,of really good content"!This will help to muffle the amount of "nagging" I'll receive,and give me the option of printing it out -:) (One advantage of owning a printing center).

Secondly, "Buy stock in COACH,or LOUIS VOITTON"!!

Thanks!

Hi Pechtm,

I've also got the Fuji FS (w/o silver base) and have been thinking about seriously upgrading. Like you, I listen to mostly jazz and rock, although classical is recently on the rise in my collection.

I think the Fuji is an absolutely fantastic cart in most respects, but in my setup, it seems to lack to tonal body, weight, and drive of my other three carts(Grado "The Statement", Cartridge Man Music Maker III, and Denon DL-103d) on 70's hard rock or large scale classical like Mahler & Wagner.

In all fairness to the ZYX, though, most of this may be simply a result of less than optimal tonearm matching and/or cart setup. First and foremost, I'm relatively new to vinyl and my setup skills betray that. Second, I have a very unique and rarely used tonearm(Scheu Tacco) that is less than ideal for cartridge swapping/comparison and lacks any form of repeatable, calibrated, fine adjustments. The arm is intensely musical in the right situations, nonetheless.

In this particular situation, the Tacco and Fuji simply may not be a perfect match. Or, I just haven't been able to find the "sweet spot".

*** I don't want people to interpet any of this as a sign that the ZYX Fuji is lacking in any way. My system falls into a 1% category of preferred design and performance criterion(flea-powered, hi-efficiency, single driver w/ extremely rare tonearm) that results are highly unlikely to be the same in the vast majority of other people's setups.***

Regardless, from Doug, Mehran's, and other's remarks around here, the Airy 3-S may better address my personal needs. I'm saving pennies for a different tonearm right now that will allow fine, calibrated, adjustments in all three planes like Doug's Triplanar or one of the used Dynavector 507 mkII's for sale right now. After that, I'll look into forming conclusions about any of the carts I have.