zyx universe cartr.- ideal weight -ideal vta ,

today i am tracking at 1.81 with cartridge eye balled level with lp.
but if you really want to take your universe to another level please get a nanomount system. O my goodness.
BTW now that i am using walkers lp cleaning system i think this vtf is possible.

Well put Doug. As usual I again benefit from your experience.

I wonder how that information will relate to my Atmos witha more exposed cantilever? I geuss thats my experimentation process. I'll elt you know.

Stlrains, whats a nanomount system?

Sirspeedy, sorry about the shopping excursion.

Mariasplunge the Nanamount system is a isolation device made of very small brass footers that go between your cartridge and head shell. and another set that goes between your arm and base.
The changes in my system were vastly improved resolution, clarity, incredible imaging and stage dimensions. Its like taking a blanket off thats been in front of your speakers. sold by Mapleshade audio.
I would relate it to taking Universe from Pro stock to top fuel.
In no way am i plugging the manufacturer to me this is one tweak you have to try for your self.

Markd51,

My opinion (nothing more) is that the old "centering the coils in the magnetic field" concept is not the whole story with VTF. Certainly that's important, but when we get down to changes of .01g it doesn't seem plausible (to me) that this is the whole story.

I believe these tiny adjustments are about minimizing the pressure between cantilever and suspension. We must allow the cantilever maximum freedom to respond to groove modulations, consistent with good tracking of course. This is what micro VTF adjustment "sounds" like to us anyway.

There's corroboration in the fact that minimal anti-skating has similar sonic effects. Excessive A/S sounds almost exactly like excessive VTF: smothered highs, slowed transients and dull, lifeless pacing. These effects seem consistent with an over-damped cantilever.

SirSpeedy,
Sorry about the shopping. I hope it wasn't at 4AM!

The ZYX 4D is an international market cartridge based on the Atmos (which is sold mostly in the US). You can read about the Atmos amongst my reviews if it beats doing more shopping! I know a UK dealer who just replaced a Lyra Skala with a 4D. To say he was bowled over would be an understatement. He emailed me out of the blue saying, "Now I understand what you've been talking about with ZYX. I'm going to sell a bunch of these and my customers will love me."

The 4D/Atmos won't replace the UNIverse because it's different but not necessarily better. The open sides give it more macro-dynamic punch and raw drive than a UNIverse, but it loses a step in low level detail, speed, agility and it has a trace more overhang. The Atmos is an extraordinary rock cartridge, probably the best I've heard. The UNIverse is still better for classical and other acoustic instruments, provided you're willing to keep up with the insane fine tuning like we're discussing on this thread.

Mariasplunge,
The Atmos is slightly easier to dial in than a UNIverse but the methods are the same. It responds similarly but its window of acceptable VTF is a bit wider and its performance curve a bit flatter. If you're off a bit the falloff in performance is not as drastic as with a UNIverse. OTOH, the peak of performance when everything's right doesn't soar quite as high.

P.S. to Sir S,

Congrats on ordering the Phantom! I predict a great leap forward. :-)