Mini Review: Lyra Delos

Mendel

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I recently received a new Lyra Delos cartridge after an 8 week wait from my dealer. I had previously been using a Benz Micro M2 woodbody. This cartridge was from Benz's previous line-up before the new S series cartridges. I had originally planed to trade my Benz in for a Gullwing or Ebony H, but due to Benz's production problems was unable to do so. It will be going off to Soundsmith for a re-tip.
I have the Delos installed in a Tecnoarm on a Orbe turntable. The phono stage is a modified Audio Research SP14 with Amperex 6922 gold pin tube. I have it loaded at 1200 ohms.
I have around 12 hours playing time on the cartridge so I expect some further break in and to continue dialing it in. The first 5 or so hours of playing time the cartridge sounded bright and unfocussed (to the point that I thought I had made a mistake) but over the last day or so the sound has come together to the point that I am getting the best sound I have EVER heard from my system.
The Lyra is much quieter in the groove than the Benz was. It tracks much better as well. Albums were I used to hear noise/mistacking with the Benz play perfect with the Lyra. This gives the Lyra a more relaxed, less electronic/mechanical sound. The music seems to flow better. I never really understood the importance of good tracking --now I do.
The Lyra definitely has more high frequency energy than the Benz had. But it does not sound bright or etched. It makes the Benz sound a little dull in comparison, lacking in life. This increased energy manifests itself in more detail, more resolution. The sounds of fingers on strings is more resolved. Multiple voices or instruments singing/playing at the same time are more clearly separated. Sound staging seems more precise and ambient clues more resolved.
The Lyra seems faster sounding. Music starts and stops instantly like its does in real life. Dynamics are increased both with small signals and loud ones. Sudden loud passages can make you jump. Yes, the Delos has the "Jump factor" that make music sound exciting and real. the Benz is smoother and mellower than the real thing.
Of course nothing is perfect. In the midrange the Benz has a liquidity and bloom (especially with Jazz music) that the Lyra does not quite match (yet). Whether this sound is accurate or not, the Benz does sound beautiful with Ben Webster. The sound of his sax is velvety smooth and creamy. Yet the Lyra better resolves the sound of Ben's blowing and phrasing, and the accompanying cymbal work and piano are faster sounding and more "toe-tapping". The Lyra sounds more realistic and accurate, the Benz more beautiful and relaxing.
Overall I am very impressed at this point. No doubt the cartridge will continue to break in and changes in VTA and VTF will continue to be made. The last point I want to make is about the quality control of the Lyra. This is obviously only one sample, but my Delos has a perfectly straight cantilever, and the azimuth appears to be spot on (a big issue for me since the Tecnoarm has no azimuth adjustment).
 

jazdoc

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Thanks for taking the time to write up your impressions. Your observations largely mirror my personal experiences with Benz and Lyra cartridges. (For the record, I use a Benz LPS MR but have listened to Lyra's in my system.) Well done!
 

Shaffer

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Nice writeup and a very enjoyable read. I'm a big Lyra fan, even though that's not what I'm using ATM.
 

TBone

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The Lyra sounds more realistic and accurate, the Benz more beautiful and relaxing.

Yeah, that I can relate.

The last Lyra I auditioned seriously was the Helicon, which supposedly was "much better" than my Ruby according to many audiophiles. It was certainly different, tho it didn't musically-gel well with the rest of my system, so I stayed with the Benz.

Overall I am very impressed at this point. No doubt the cartridge will continue to break in and changes in VTA and VTF will continue to be made. The last point I want to make is about the quality control of the Lyra. This is obviously only one sample, but my Delos has a perfectly straight cantilever, and the azimuth appears to be spot on (a big issue for me since the Tecnoarm has no azimuth adjustment).

Very important point, for that reason I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Lyra, or a Benz for that matter.

The one thing I find interesting with newer Benz (the current MR based Benz, rather the FG based Benz) is how much easier it is (at least for me) to achieve desired stylus orientation. The stylus type/cut is just as critical a choice. The FG2 models were very demanding of stylus orientation, therefore I found them easier to setup because the difference between slightly of orientation and dead on were a matter of sonic focus. I much prefer Carts using FG2 stylus in this regard.

tb1
 

PeterA

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It tracks much better as well. Albums were I used to hear noise/mistacking with the Benz play perfect with the Lyra. This gives the Lyra a more relaxed, less electronic/mechanical sound. The Lyra sounds more realistic and accurate, the Benz more beautiful and relaxing.

Nice review. I've been interested in Lyra for a while. I'm curious about your two comments regarding which is more "relaxed". They seem to be contradictory.
 

Mendel

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Nice review. I've been interested in Lyra for a while. I'm curious about your two comments regarding which is more "relaxed". They seem to be contradictory.

Hi Peter.
When it is tracking properly, the Benz is the more relaxed of the two. When it mistracks, it becomes more ragged sounding. I guess that would be true of any cartridge. The Benz is definitely the more forgiving cartridge, most of my albums sound good through it. The Lyra picks out flaws in the recording--it will make a shitty recording sound ****. I think my Benz may have been flawed from the start as the azimuth was off so much that I had to use a washer on one of the headshell screws to alter the azimuth to get decent imaging. The Benz was a real pain to get sounding good, the Delos was easier to dial in.
I am looking forward to hearing the Benz after it is rebuilt with a new cantilever and hopefully properly aligned. Should be an improved cartridge.
 

Mendel

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Just a few more observations on the Delos now that it has broken in more and I have done some more fine tuning. Since it is often difficult to audition cartridges, I hope these comments and comparisons with the Benz M2 (older series) will help those looking for a new cartridge and are considering the Delos. It is a very fine cartridge.
I was running the Delos at 1200ohms but was bothered by a forwardness in the sound. Transients were sounding too sharp, especially compared to the Benz (which I had always run wide open at 47k). Changed in a 470 ohm resistor and the sound improved quite a bit. The Delos MUST be loaded down in my opinion. That said, the sound is still more forward than the Benz. The Lyra seems to throw the sound out at the listener whereas the Benz is more laidback and draws the listener in. This is a plus and a minus, the music seems more lively with the Lyra, more beautiful (than life) with the Benz. If you system already leans to a forward sound, the Lyra might be too much, if your system is laid back, the Delos might be just what you need. In my tube based system, the Delos fits in well.
I have had to lower my Tecnoarm quite a bit more than I had it with the Benz to get the sound I want. The Benz always seemed to want to be a little tail-up for VTA while the Delos seems to prefer slightly tail down. Not a big deal but VTA and VTF seem to be more critical for the Lyra than the Benz. You definitely want an arm that is adjustable for these parameters to use the Delos. Fortunately Azimuth seems dead on my sample (a rarity in the cartridge word IMO and not the case with my Benz).
Sound is still rounding out as it breaks in. It is not a lean sounding cartridge; there is a nice warmth through the midrange but definitely not as warm as the Benz was. There does seems to be a very tiny bit of grain (not sure how to exactly describe it ) through the mids.I don't want to make too much of this, every cartridge I have had (especially MM and HOMC like the Ortifon OM series and the Denon 160) have this trait, even the Benz. This seems to be improving as the Delos breaks in and I hope for further improvement, but the trait seemed less pronounced in the Benz. I guess this is why Lyra makes (far) more expensive cartridges than the Delos. Again this is very subtle, friends who have visited have raved about the clarity of the sound, maybe I am the only one who hears it!
Any way a very enjoyable high quality cartridge suitable for the best anolog front ends. Very satisfied with my purchase so far.
 

jfrech

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I've owned a few Lyra's. All of them are simply fantastic. I do agree they are diff than your benz...You might try loading down more....say 100-300ohms. Hard to say here as I am not familiar with your phono preamp. My Lyra Atlas into my Nagra VPS is loaded at 100 ohms...but might be worth a try...

Thanks for posting...nice read!
 
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MylesBAstor

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I've owned a few Lyra's. All of them are simply fantastic. I do agree they are diff than your benz...You might try loading down more....say 100-300ohms. Hard to say here as I am not familiar with your phono preamp. My Lyra Atlas into my Nagra VPS is loaded at 100 ohms...but might be worth a try...

Thanks for posting...nice read!

Yes, I find it depends on the phono too :) With the Doshi, the Atlas sounds best between 100-180 ohms. 75 just kills the magic; higher, too much.
 

Mendel

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Just a quick follow up. I received the Benz back from Soundsmith with the $350 ruby cantilever with optimized line contact stylus. I am really impressed by the work Peter has done here. The cantilever is perfectly straight and centered and the azimuth now appears to be correct--no more shimming one side at the head shell for an even stereo image. I was happily listening to my Delos when the rebuilt Benz arrived after only 6 weeks gone (despite the notice that it would take 9 to 12 weeks for the rebuild from Soundsmith) so I thought I better try it out to make sure it was OK.
Boy does this thing sing! I think it sounds way better than before. Detail retrieval seems much better with the new stylus/cantilever, detail was perhaps the major weakness of the Benz before compared to the Lyra. Tracking seems better also. The sound still has the warmth and richness in the midrange, more than the Lyra. The Lyra may be more accurate, but once you hear this sweet midrange in your system, it is hard to give up. Right now I refuse to remove it. I am sure the Lyra will get another chance, as I only really used it for 6 weeks and I'm not sure I ever got it 100% optimized. But right now the Soundsmith retipped Benz M2 rules!
If you have an old high end cartridge lying in a drawer, send it to Soundsmith. People worry that it won't sound the same as new, but it may sound better. First class work on my cartridge, best $350 I have ever spent in this hobby.
 

RBFC

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Great to hear that you got the Benz "straightened out". I'll tell you that Allen Perkins of Lyra fame is a great guy, who was of invaluable assistance to me when I was setting up my old Lyra Clavis many years ago.

Good luck,

Lee
 

puroagave

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Great to hear that you got the Benz "straightened out". I'll tell you that Allen Perkins of Lyra fame is a great guy, who was of invaluable assistance to me when I was setting up my old Lyra Clavis many years ago.

Good luck,

Lee

Allen is da man, however Audioquest now dist Lyra.
 

Grooves

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Mendel,
Thanks for the review and comparrison. I started out with a Ruby/Ruby 2/LP on an Orbe since "2000". One of the biggest improvements for me was Ruby 2 to LP. I have a troublesome HF room and the LP really got to show it's stuff, though in my friend's room/system my old Ruby 2 was WAY better sounding than in mine. My LP may have to go to Peter for a repair so I am glad to hear that it sounded better upon its return. I concur 100% regarding Benz and tracking and groove noise. I have a Goldring Elite that has a much finer stylus profile and it is better than the LP as far as being much quieter in the groove and tracks better as well. I too had hopes of a LP-S but based upon the whole Benz nightmare of supply and demand I have pretty much given up the idea of another. I am looking at Air Tight and reading good things about them. But since moving onto a Phantom and Raven 2, I am kind of curious to hear the Skala. But brave enough? Who knows.
 

Mendel

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Reviving an old thread.
Traded in my original Delos (described above) for a new one using Lyra’s trade-in program. Over the last 7 years the Delos has been my main cartridge, although I have also used my Benz Wood and a Hana SL.
I still love this cartridge. The second sample is also perfect in terms of azimuth and having a perfectly straight cantilever. Also sounded a bit bright at first , but is smoothing out nicely with break-in.
Like others here, I am always looking to improve my system. But to me the Delos makes my system sound the way I like it. And at its new price of $2K US, it is as much as I’m willing to spend on cartridge right now. I could spend more and get less (many (but not all) prefer the Delos to the twice as expensive Kleos for example). It is almost impossible to demo cartridges or compare different ones these days, so I’m sticking with the tried and true.
The Delos sounds great, is built to a high standard and is very durable. A very satisfied customer looking forward to the next 7 years listening to one.
 
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Mendel

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Feb 13, 2012
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Reviving an old thread.
Traded in my original Delos (described above) for a new one using Lyra’s trade-in program. Over the last 7 years the Delos has been my main cartridge, although I have also used my Benz Wood and a Hana SL.
I still love this cartridge. The second sample is also perfect in terms of azimuth and having a perfectly straight cantilever. Also sounded a bit bright at first , but is smoothing out nicely with break-in.
Like others here, I am always looking to improve my system. But to me the Delos makes my system sound the way I like it. And at its new price of $2K US, it is as much as I’m willing to spend on cartridge right now. I could spend more and get less (many (but not all) prefer the Delos to the twice as expensive Kleos for example). It is almost impossible to demo cartridges or compare different ones these days, so I’m sticking with the tried and true.
The Delos sounds great, is built to a high standard and is very durable. A very satisfied customer looking forward to the next 7 years listening to one.
Well it wasn’t 7 years, but well over 3 years of heavy use before an accident ( the dreaded stylus caught on sweater sleeve ) led to need for replacement. I have decided to move up the line and have traded my Delos towards a Kleos and am awaiting delivery.
I have never had a $4K cartridge, very excited! I will update this thread when I have had some listening time with the Kleos.
 

Mendel

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I received my Kleos today.
As with my two Delos’s, the build quality is first rate (not a given even with expensive cartridges in my experience). I found the exposed cantilever made setup very easy using my Dr. Feikert protractor.
I have only played 2 albums so far (Dire Straits first and Bob Marley Exodus) so the cartridge is not even broken in yet, but I am absolutely blown away! This is by far the best cartridge I have ever had and one of the biggest improvements I have made in my system.
The first thing I noticed was the bass and lower midrange, so much fuller and deeper than the Delos or AT Art9xI. The treble was a little bright for side one of Dire Straits but has smooth out very nicely. Midrange details are so much easier to hear. When the backing singers on the Marley album (Rita and the I threes) come in it is almost spooky, their voices appearing out of the background silence. This cartridge is even quieter in the groove than the Delos. Imaging is the best I have heard, the speakers just disappear. Just put on Traffic, Shoot out at the Fantasy Factory, Stevie’s voice just floats between the speakers, Capaldi’s guitar grinds. Wow.
This cartridge is a very worthy upgrade from the Delos , which is a great cartridge. I can’t even image how good the Etna or Atlas must be (although I intend to find out one day). Now I understand why people spend five figures on cartridges. Other than speakers, nothing makes a bigger difference in an analog based system.
Going to be spinning all night……..
 

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jfrech

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I received my Kleos today.
As with my two Delos’s, the build quality is first rate (not a given even with expensive cartridges in my experience). I found the exposed cantilever made setup very easy using my Dr. Feikert protractor.
I have only played 2 albums so far (Dire Straits first and Bob Marley Exodus) so the cartridge is not even broken in yet, but I am absolutely blown away! This is by far the best cartridge I have ever had and one of the biggest improvements I have made in my system.
The first thing I noticed was the bass and lower midrange, so much fuller and deeper than the Delos or AT Art9xI. The treble was a little bright for side one of Dire Straits but has smooth out very nicely. Midrange details are so much easier to hear. When the backing singers on the Marley album (Rita and the I threes) come in it is almost spooky, their voices appearing out of the background silence. This cartridge is even quieter in the groove than the Delos. Imaging is the best I have heard, the speakers just disappear. Just put on Traffic, Shoot out at the Fantasy Factory, Stevie’s voice just floats between the speakers, Capaldi’s guitar grinds. Wow.
This cartridge is a very worthy upgrade from the Delos , which is a great cartridge. I can’t even image how good the Etna or Atlas must be (although I intend to find out one day). Now I understand why people spend five figures on cartridges. Other than speakers, nothing makes a bigger difference in an analog based system.
Going to be spinning all night……..
Years ago I upgraded to a Skala, (from the Lydian b) I know what you're talking about ! Congratulations ! After about 20 hours it should get quite a bit better. Then after 100....wow. Enjoy !!
 
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Another Johnson

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I received my Kleos today.
As with my two Delos’s, the build quality is first rate (not a given even with expensive cartridges in my experience). I found the exposed cantilever made setup very easy using my Dr. Feikert protractor.
I have only played 2 albums so far (Dire Straits first and Bob Marley Exodus) so the cartridge is not even broken in yet, but I am absolutely blown away! This is by far the best cartridge I have ever had and one of the biggest improvements I have made in my system.
The first thing I noticed was the bass and lower midrange, so much fuller and deeper than the Delos or AT Art9xI. The treble was a little bright for side one of Dire Straits but has smooth out very nicely. Midrange details are so much easier to hear. When the backing singers on the Marley album (Rita and the I threes) come in it is almost spooky, their voices appearing out of the background silence. This cartridge is even quieter in the groove than the Delos. Imaging is the best I have heard, the speakers just disappear. Just put on Traffic, Shoot out at the Fantasy Factory, Stevie’s voice just floats between the speakers, Capaldi’s guitar grinds. Wow.
This cartridge is a very worthy upgrade from the Delos , which is a great cartridge. I can’t even image how good the Etna or Atlas must be (although I intend to find out one day). Now I understand why people spend five figures on cartridges. Other than speakers, nothing makes a bigger difference in an analog based system.
Going to be spinning all night……..
That’s great!
When I abandoned Linn over the Krystal fiasco, I bought a Delos. Like you, I was very impressed. So much so that I felt compelled to try the Kleos. Again, the Kleos was so nice, I had to try an Etna. I kept both (on different TTs), and enjoyed both. Both were engaging … the Etna was more refined, a bit more detailed, even smoother. But I could have happily lived with the Kleos and it continues in use on my 2nd TT.

Earlier this year I used the generous Lyra trade-in program at HiFi Buys in Atlanta to swap my Etna for an Etna Lambda. And it is even nicer still. It is on my #1 TT.

Frankly, in comparison, I still enjoy the Kleos. It is a very musical cartridge, and may be the best value for money in the Lyra lineup.
 
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