Dyna XX-2 MKII vs. Lyra Kleos

Captain winters- Is the MC1 Boron in the 2K price range, like the XX-2? Also curious about how long it took to get your Allaerts, if you bought new. I heard it can take some time, since it is such a small company. I have been intrigue by the JA cartridges for a while. Thanks in advance.

Jmcgrogan2- What is your TT/arm again. You went from Basis to VPI, right?

Congrats Captain_winters, I can't say that I know much about Jan Allaerts cartridges, but it sure sounds like it's very good.

Fjn04 - Yes, I have downsized my rig quite a bit in the last few years due to economics. I had a Basis 2500 Signature w/ Vector 3 arm and Calibrator base. I have owned ZYX UNIverse, Dynavector XV-1s, Koetsu Rosewood Signature, Lyra Helikon and many others. The last big cartridge I had when I sold my Basis was a ZYX 4D-X SB2.

Now I am using a VPI Scout with an upgraded Scoutmaster platter and a JMW9 arm with Nordost wiring. I'm currently running a Sumiko Blackbird through my VAC Auricle MM phono stage. To be fair, it sounds pretty good for the money. Since moving back to a SS amp though (CODA Model 11), I am looking for a bit more sweetness.

Economically speaking, I am not flush like the old days, but the free-fall has stabilized for the time being. So I just ordered a new Cary SLP-98P with MC phono stage from Kevin at Upscale Audio (no longer a Cary dealer!!!). The Blackbird will overload the Cary's input stage, so I'm looking for a newer, lower output MC than the Blackbird's 2.5 mV. I did just pull the trigger on a Dynavector XX mk II yesterday. I toyed with the idea of a ZYX Airy 3-X, but I couldn't bring myself to pay 50% more for it.

I considered the Kleos and Delos too, but I still have rather poor memories of when I had the Helikon. Yes, Lyra is VERY revealing, but sounds cold and clinical to me after a while. Which leads to listening fatigue. So I'm figuring the Dynavector will be a good match with the VPI.

I had a VPI HW-19 jr many years ago with a Dynavector 10X4 mk II, and it is what first brought me back into the vinyl world about 12 years ago.

Jmcgrogan2- That's what I thought. I was just trying to see what TT/arm you had. I think you made a great move on the XX-2 though. I have heard the 20X-L, and was very impressed. Especially at less than 1K. I sent you a PM as well. Cheers-Don

Fjn04,
No, I actually bought the Jan Allaerts MC1 Boron used on Audiogon, it was actually a pleasant experience. I believe the new list price is more like S3,750, so quite a bit more than a Dyna XX2 MK II. You can get a lot better deal on the used market, but as you know, there is always a risk. Its been a month now, so I should probably re-install the Dyna and verify my initial impressions. Switch out that big block of gold for the Dyna black aluminum parallel sides.

Since I just re-installed my Dynavector XX-2 MKII, I thought I would resurrect this thread to see if anyone has made any comparisons of it with the Lyra.