ZYX Diamond vs Jan Allaerts MC 2 Formula One

gian60

Well-Known Member
Apr 17, 2016
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Yesterday 2 my friend compared these 2 cartridges and the final result is that ZYX win in everything.
We like MC 2 Formula one,price in Italy euro 11.890,but yesterday compared in the system

Thorens with Da vinci Grandezza
Pre Shindo Monbrison
Amp Goldmund Telos 360
Montagna speaker

One friend told me the ZYX Diamond was more natural,transparent and much better in everything
 

bonzo75

Member Sponsor
Feb 26, 2014
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Yesterday 2 my friend compared these 2 cartridges and the final result is that ZYX win in everything.
We like MC 2 Formula one,price in Italy euro 11.890,but yesterday compared in the system

Thorens with Da vinci Grandezza
Pre Shindo Monbrison
Amp Goldmund Telos 360
Montagna speaker

One friend told me the ZYX Diamond was more natural,transparent and much better in everything

Wait so you swapped it at Pietro's?
 

bonzo75

Member Sponsor
Feb 26, 2014
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London
Can you compare the FM 122 to the Shindo?
 

gian60

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Apr 17, 2016
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Yes was from Pietro,
The Shindo is a preamp line and phono,while FM 122 is only phono
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Is the ZYX UNIverse Premium only available in North America? If not I urge you to audition the TOL ZYX cartridge as it is better even than the ZYX Diamond which I gather is distributed everywhere but the USA

MSRP on the ZYX UNIverse Premium is $15K and will IMO outperform the Diamond by a huge margin
 

gian60

Well-Known Member
Apr 17, 2016
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My friend has the old Diamond,now i see the new diamond has a different design
There is confusion on ZYX with new Ultimate series and we don't know which are top in this moment,the new Ultimate or the Uni Premium,or others
 

bonzo75

Member Sponsor
Feb 26, 2014
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Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
My friend has the old Diamond,now i see the new diamond has a different design
There is confusion on ZYX with new Ultimate series and we don't know which are top in this moment,the new Ultimate or the Uni Premium,or others

as best I think I understand Mehran who owns Sora Sound here in the USA brings the Premium into the USA but not globally

Mehran is a member here BTW

http://www.sorasound.com

http://www.sorasound.com/products/zyx/
 

Tango

VIP/Donor
Mar 12, 2017
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If not I urge you to audition the TOL ZYX cartridge as it is better even than the ZYX Diamond ..

Dear Sir,

What is the TOL ZYX?

Kind regards,
Tang
 

analyzer

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May 20, 2016
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Interesting match... actually there are some misunderstangins about correct identification of ZYX's cartridges.
In the past there was an appreciable choice between different coils (copper/silver/gold) and different output level (low or high); but IMHO it's disturbing to see that sometimes the same cartridge has different names depending on the market region.

About the match I ask to Gian if he remember gain and impedance setting choosen for the Zyx. Again... it was an 0,24 mv version? It seems that the new production has an output level very very low...
my best
Marco
 

restock

Well-Known Member
Nov 12, 2016
8
8
135
Toronto, Canada
Thorens with Da vinci Grandezza
Pre Shindo Monbrison
Amp Goldmund Telos 360
Montagna speaker

Which phono stage did you use for the Allaerts? The MC in the Shindo or a separate set-up of phono? I am very familiar with both the Monbrison and Allaerts MC1B...

I would not expect the Allaerts MC2 with its high internal impedance to work well with anything but a solid state phonosage with 500-1K loading.

The ZYX would be more forgiving of loading...
 

Pepe57

Well-Known Member
Jan 25, 2014
90
20
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Milano Italy
I am using a Goldmund PH3.8.
The Diamond costs € 24.5K (around USD.29K) and its specs can be found on official ZYX website.
Jan Allaerts MC2 Formula 1 costs € 12 K(around USD 14K) and its specs can be found on JA website.
I like the two cartridges but in the system with Goldmund PH 3.8, Goldmund Mimesis 22H, Goldmund Telos 360 and Montagna Spark CF the Diamond offers a general result i prefer.
Of course it is not always true, in other systems it can be the opposite.
I think that if i try to judge a cartridge (not so easy as depends from so many factors.. tonearm, TT, phono preamp and also the rest of the system) the result can be very different depending on what the listener is looking for (expecially if it is based on parameters).
For example ... searching the "image" i could be very touched by the AN IO LTD. But if it is dynamics i am searching ....DST cartridges like old Ikeda (or new ART 1000 AT or ancient Neumann/Lumiere DST...etc etc)
Timber?
Speed?
Timing? Often i will find different answers.
But i think the preference will be greatly influenced by the answer to this question: how much importance the listener gives to a single (or multiple) parameter in the full ensamble of the listening of music (and what he research at home in comparison with live listening? Which kind of? I mean, generally speaking, if i go twice a week to listen classic music, probably i will find satisfaction from a different aesthetic proposal compared to yours that go twice a week to listen rock live music).
I hope it is understandable...
:)
 

Pepe57

Well-Known Member
Jan 25, 2014
90
20
115
Milano Italy
@ analyzer:
La Zyx è caricata a 100 Ohm mentre la JA attorno ai 1KOhm.
La Zyx esce a 0.24 mV (ma a 3.56 cm/sec, a 5 cm/sec è circa 0.35mV) e il guadagno è a +63d) la JA a 0.15 mV (a 5 cm/sec) per cui i guadagno lo setto a +70 dB).
Non credo che Universe e Diamond siano la stessa testina con nomi diversi, la Universe mi pare di derivazione linea Airy mentre Diamond deriva dalla linea Omega.
Penso che solo delle Ultimate solo la serie Dynamic esca un po' più bassa delle altre (a 0.15 mV/3.56cm/sec).
:)
 

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