Sir Speedy,
I agree with everything you say. It's not that I am slamming the Temper V, it is just that I prefer something a little more dynamic, which is what the Orpheus happens to be. My Titan is too new to justify replacing it (besides, I like its virtues too), otherwise the Orpheus would be on my short list.
The top of the line Allaerts are VERY special -- refined, detailed (without being strident) and musical, but yes, perhaps a little dynamically laid back. The setups with the Allaerts that really sounded good to me were custom designed and built horn systems.
I know people who have had both Transfiguration and Lyra cartridges for a long, long time, and both brands seem quite reliable and do not wear out very quickly. But, frankly, that can be said of any high quality cartridge. Many, many years ago, when I was using cartridges, such as the Shure V-15-V, I recall having to replace the needle at surprisingly short intervals, which was not that big a deal given the price. Still, my Lyra cartridges last many times longer before the needle shows signs of wear.
I agree with everything you say. It's not that I am slamming the Temper V, it is just that I prefer something a little more dynamic, which is what the Orpheus happens to be. My Titan is too new to justify replacing it (besides, I like its virtues too), otherwise the Orpheus would be on my short list.
The top of the line Allaerts are VERY special -- refined, detailed (without being strident) and musical, but yes, perhaps a little dynamically laid back. The setups with the Allaerts that really sounded good to me were custom designed and built horn systems.
I know people who have had both Transfiguration and Lyra cartridges for a long, long time, and both brands seem quite reliable and do not wear out very quickly. But, frankly, that can be said of any high quality cartridge. Many, many years ago, when I was using cartridges, such as the Shure V-15-V, I recall having to replace the needle at surprisingly short intervals, which was not that big a deal given the price. Still, my Lyra cartridges last many times longer before the needle shows signs of wear.