Thanks for all the info and comments; pardon my ignorance,...how does geographical location figure into performance of tube and/or hybrid gear?
Some big tubes
- Thread starter Sunnyboy1956
- Start date
Thanks for all the info and comments; pardon my ignorance,...how does geographical location figure into performance of tube and/or hybrid gear?
Not from sonic perspective but for such small companies service and distribution if you are not in Europe could be a constraint, unless you have a good tech guy
Many thanks
You are most welcome to visit. I anticipate the system will be down for a month or so as various parts of the vinyl chain have gone or are going to the manufacturers in Tokyo and Seattle. Should be back in business toward end July.
Thanks for looking
Pradeep
Even if you have a good tech guy, you must have access to service information and spares. Some companies will not provide you with it.
BTW, it is one of the many good thinks I appreciate in conrad johnson - they have always been very helpful and efficient in service matters.
Microstrip
+1 for CJ. Lew Johnson has been amazing in his customer service. I bought a used CJ GAT on Agon that was 110V. CG has a paid service to convert 110V/220V gear. I wrote to Lew and he promptly sent the wiring instructions. Not many manufacturers will do that. Compare this to the other great American tube amp Company who refuse to allow any voltage conversion.
A bit premature and unfair to comment as the Etna is in rehab in Tokyo and the A95 is far from broken in. Early impressions mounted on a Garrard 401 on an Ortofon 309D arm : very impressive. The A95 has the speed,agility and handles dynamic swings with aplomb much like the Etna. Possibly lacks the finesse and silky smooth highs of the Atlas. Will get a better handle on the Etna when it's mounted on the Durand Kairos on the TW AC.
Thanks for looking
True the Atlas is more expensive but in my system I prefer the Etna over the Atlas. More muscle and a meatier presentation. I suspect the A95 is pretty close to the Etna
Pradeep,
congrats on all the new toys!!
I will watch with interest what you conclude about the A95.
any first thoughts about the Kairos?
congrats on all the new toys!!
I will watch with interest what you conclude about the A95.
any first thoughts about the Kairos?
Hi Mike
Good to hear from you. Met Teck in Singy recently and he helped put together all the toys.
A bit quiet on the A95/Kairos front on account of a small mishap. One of the cartridge headshell clips came undone. A first for me in 30 years ! The duo is up and running and hopefully will get a more permanent local solution without shipping the Kairos back to Joel.
Early impressions of the A95 : this cart is really finicky about VTA and needs its tail really up . It's not even close to 15/20 hrs so I am a long way from break in (30 hrs ?). I like the punch though the edges are a wee bit brittle. It's clearly not in the same league as the Lyra Atla. I was looking for a different flavor.
Mighty impressed with the Kairos. Love the Azimuth feature which is simplicity itself. The VTA on the Kairos is not as accessible as the Talea2. Will get a better perspective on the Kairos when I mount the Atlas which I plan to do over the weekend.
Stay tuned and thanks for looking
Pradeep
Time for an update. Logged close to 30+ hrs on my new toys.
Mounted the Atlas on the Kairos . Clearly, I am getting superior results with the Atlas on the Kairos compared to the Atlas on the Talea2. In my system and to my ears, the Kairos is a superior arm. More detail, pitch definition and tighter bass.
IMHO, the real hero is not the Kairos or the A95. It's the Lyra Erodion EVO SUT or MC interface as Lyra prefers to call it. On its own the A95 is a great cart but through the Erodion the results are pretty amazing. As the Atlas has a higher output (0.47mV) compared to the A95(0.2mV), the Atlas is plugged into the MC input of the Nagra phono and the A95 into the MM input via the Erodion with the loading set at 47k. Surprisingly, the results with the Atlas into the Erodion are not as good. I would have imagined there would be a natural synergy between two Lyra products. I suspect the Atlas SL or Etna SL may be a better match for the Erodion.
I may have a tough time deciding which cart to keep when the Etna returns.
Pradeep
Mounted the Atlas on the Kairos . Clearly, I am getting superior results with the Atlas on the Kairos compared to the Atlas on the Talea2. In my system and to my ears, the Kairos is a superior arm. More detail, pitch definition and tighter bass.
IMHO, the real hero is not the Kairos or the A95. It's the Lyra Erodion EVO SUT or MC interface as Lyra prefers to call it. On its own the A95 is a great cart but through the Erodion the results are pretty amazing. As the Atlas has a higher output (0.47mV) compared to the A95(0.2mV), the Atlas is plugged into the MC input of the Nagra phono and the A95 into the MM input via the Erodion with the loading set at 47k. Surprisingly, the results with the Atlas into the Erodion are not as good. I would have imagined there would be a natural synergy between two Lyra products. I suspect the Atlas SL or Etna SL may be a better match for the Erodion.
I may have a tough time deciding which cart to keep when the Etna returns.
Pradeep
Similar threads
 | Steve Williams Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator |  | Ron Resnick Site Co-Owner | Administrator |  | Julian (The Fixer) Website Build | Marketing Managersing |