I was very fortunate to be able to directly compare MadFloyd's two new cartridges yesterday. He recently replaced his ZYX top of the line and Ortofon A95 cartridges with the AirTight Opus 1 and the Lyra Atlas SL. I brought four of my reference LPs and we listened to the same sevebn tracks in the same order on both cartridges. Ian used his new SmarTracker cartridge alignment device to set up each cartridge. We adjusted arm height for the Ella and Louis, but the other LPs had the same VTA.
1. J. S. Bach, Partita No. 2 in D minor, Kremer, Philips 6514 297
2. Beethoven, “Appassionata”, Kamiya, RCA RDCE 4 D2D 45RPM
3. Cantate Domino, Proprius Prop 7762
4. The Sheffield Drum Record, Jim Keltner, Sheffield Lab 14
5. Ella and Louis, Verve, Analog Productions 45RPM reissue
We first listened to the Atlas SL. Resolution was extremely high. There was a slight emphasis on the leading edge of notes. The level of transient detail was outrageous. Kremer’s violin had very good string texture and detail. It was spotlit. It was clear, clean, highly resolving, and conveyed Kremer's extremely energetic playing style. However, this came at the slight expense of less “wood” sound to the body of the violin.
Kamiya’s solo piano showed excellent extension of both the high and low notes. It was another very expressive and energetic performance and the right hand high notes stood in stark contrast to the rumble of the Bosendorfer’s lowest notes. The contrast was striking and dramatic because it was so finely articulated. Dynamics were excellent. The individual choral voices in Cantate Domino were very articulate and stood in wonderful contrast to the trumpets and organ. The organ breathed and the trumpets were piercing. The soundstage was large and convincing. Keltner’s drum kit sounded fast, and clean with very accurate cymbals. The leading edge or transient was excellent and extremely detailed. The voices on Ella and Louis sounded good but what really struck me was Armstrong’s trumpet. The sound was so piercing and yet natural sounding. The piano and drums in the background were more a part of the performance than I am used to hearing. Overall, the Atlas SL seemed to have a very even and flat frequency response with no emphasis on a particular range of frequencies. In this sense it was very even handed, but it did emphasize the leading edge of notes which left a slightly less sense of the warmth and weight (color) of the rest of the note.
We then switched cartridges and played the Opus. It did not have quite the emphasis on the leading edge of notes nor quite the level of transient resolution, but it made up for that with a more complete portrayal of the entire note. The attack or leading edge was balanced with the rest of the note. The note’s sustain and decay were beautifully developed and very real sounding. The whole note sounded right, natural. Nothing seemed out of place. Like the Atlas, the Opus seemed to have a flat frequency response but was perhaps not quite as extended at the extremes, but it was a very minor difference. The Opus sounded more balanced. It was more natural and complete sounding and it did not emphasize anything or draw attention to itself. It was just about the music.
Kremer’s violin had more wood sound and the energy seemed to leave the instrument and fill the listening room more completely. You could hear the resonance of the body of the instrument and the balance with the strings was excellent. The strings still had great texture, and the resolution was still very high. The two cartridges made the violin sound like it was made by a different maker. Both sounded convincing, they just had a slightly different tone to them. The high notes on the solo piano did not have quite the lightning fast “tinkle” of the Atlas, but again, the whole range was very realistic sounding. There was great body, warmth, and weight to the instrument. It was very present in the room, and the multiple notes played at the same time were distinct and clean. The resolution was outstanding. The organ in Cantate Domino sounded about the same as with the Atlas, the trumpets were not quite as piercing, but the voices were still extremely articulate, convincing and separate in space. Again, the scene was laid out in front of us and the sound filled the room. There was excellent hall information. On this recording I liked both cartridges very much. The cymbals on Keltner’s drums were not quite as crisp, but the color and tonal shadings of the various drum skins and character in the kit were each more distinct and full of nuance. There was more tonal color and variation with the Opus. Ella and Louis sounded very present in the room with slightly less siblance than with the Atlas. Overall, the Opus conveyed the emotion and the musical message more consistently over a greater variety of music than did the Atlas SL.
To summarize what I heard, both cartridges have extremely high levels of resolution, a flat frequency response, great dynamics, and excellent high and low extension. The Altas SL emphasizes the leading edge of notes while the Opus presents the whole note in a more natural, even or balanced way. The Atlas soundstage did not move forward of the plane of the speakers to fill the room as much as the Opus did. I felt a real sense of immersion within the sound space with the Opus, much as I hear in a good live concert. The Opus presented a more complete, realistic impression of the music and was overall more convincing and real sounding. I can see why people like the Atlas, and with some music in Ian’s system, it could be equally or even more enjoyable but with a different flavor than the Opus. I understand why some may prefer the Atlas in other system contexts or if their tastes are different than mine.
Ian’s system is extremely transparent and resolving. The differences between the cartridges was pretty easy to hear. I so enjoyed the Opus that before I left, I asked Ian to play two more of my favorite LPs just so that I could savor the glorious sound:
1. Holst, The Planets, Mehta, LA Philharmonic, Decca SXL 6529, Speakers Corner
2. Melody Gardot, Worrisome Heart, UJC Music, 45 RPM
I had never heard the Planets sound more immersive and convincing. Everything was in the right place. The sound was big and glorious. The flow of the massed strings to the contrast of the solo violin within the group was utterly real sounding. The brass, wind and percussive instruments had a natural timbre that for brief moments I no longer thought I was listening to reproduced music. The speakers disappeared in the room and I was in a middle seat in the orchestra section. The back of the stage was distant. The sound was grand and full of emotion. I was left with the same overwhelming impression I have when listening to the BSO from the seventh row center: clarity.
Melody Gardot has a hauntingly beautiful voice. The Opus reached deeper into the grooves and presented this familiar recording with more emotional impact. Both the Planets and Gardot sounded similar to what I hear at home, but with more resolution and believability. What a way to end a fantastic listening session.
Postscript: I own the AirTight Supreme and MySonicLab Signature Gold cartridges. I had long suspected that the Opus combines what is great about the Supreme, namely timbral accuracy, natural body and warmth and added a bit more dynamics and extension from the Signature Gold. This is what I heard in Ian system. The Opus is the most complete and real sounding cartridge that I have heard. It is a sublime cartridge.
1. J. S. Bach, Partita No. 2 in D minor, Kremer, Philips 6514 297
2. Beethoven, “Appassionata”, Kamiya, RCA RDCE 4 D2D 45RPM
3. Cantate Domino, Proprius Prop 7762
4. The Sheffield Drum Record, Jim Keltner, Sheffield Lab 14
5. Ella and Louis, Verve, Analog Productions 45RPM reissue
We first listened to the Atlas SL. Resolution was extremely high. There was a slight emphasis on the leading edge of notes. The level of transient detail was outrageous. Kremer’s violin had very good string texture and detail. It was spotlit. It was clear, clean, highly resolving, and conveyed Kremer's extremely energetic playing style. However, this came at the slight expense of less “wood” sound to the body of the violin.
Kamiya’s solo piano showed excellent extension of both the high and low notes. It was another very expressive and energetic performance and the right hand high notes stood in stark contrast to the rumble of the Bosendorfer’s lowest notes. The contrast was striking and dramatic because it was so finely articulated. Dynamics were excellent. The individual choral voices in Cantate Domino were very articulate and stood in wonderful contrast to the trumpets and organ. The organ breathed and the trumpets were piercing. The soundstage was large and convincing. Keltner’s drum kit sounded fast, and clean with very accurate cymbals. The leading edge or transient was excellent and extremely detailed. The voices on Ella and Louis sounded good but what really struck me was Armstrong’s trumpet. The sound was so piercing and yet natural sounding. The piano and drums in the background were more a part of the performance than I am used to hearing. Overall, the Atlas SL seemed to have a very even and flat frequency response with no emphasis on a particular range of frequencies. In this sense it was very even handed, but it did emphasize the leading edge of notes which left a slightly less sense of the warmth and weight (color) of the rest of the note.
We then switched cartridges and played the Opus. It did not have quite the emphasis on the leading edge of notes nor quite the level of transient resolution, but it made up for that with a more complete portrayal of the entire note. The attack or leading edge was balanced with the rest of the note. The note’s sustain and decay were beautifully developed and very real sounding. The whole note sounded right, natural. Nothing seemed out of place. Like the Atlas, the Opus seemed to have a flat frequency response but was perhaps not quite as extended at the extremes, but it was a very minor difference. The Opus sounded more balanced. It was more natural and complete sounding and it did not emphasize anything or draw attention to itself. It was just about the music.
Kremer’s violin had more wood sound and the energy seemed to leave the instrument and fill the listening room more completely. You could hear the resonance of the body of the instrument and the balance with the strings was excellent. The strings still had great texture, and the resolution was still very high. The two cartridges made the violin sound like it was made by a different maker. Both sounded convincing, they just had a slightly different tone to them. The high notes on the solo piano did not have quite the lightning fast “tinkle” of the Atlas, but again, the whole range was very realistic sounding. There was great body, warmth, and weight to the instrument. It was very present in the room, and the multiple notes played at the same time were distinct and clean. The resolution was outstanding. The organ in Cantate Domino sounded about the same as with the Atlas, the trumpets were not quite as piercing, but the voices were still extremely articulate, convincing and separate in space. Again, the scene was laid out in front of us and the sound filled the room. There was excellent hall information. On this recording I liked both cartridges very much. The cymbals on Keltner’s drums were not quite as crisp, but the color and tonal shadings of the various drum skins and character in the kit were each more distinct and full of nuance. There was more tonal color and variation with the Opus. Ella and Louis sounded very present in the room with slightly less siblance than with the Atlas. Overall, the Opus conveyed the emotion and the musical message more consistently over a greater variety of music than did the Atlas SL.
To summarize what I heard, both cartridges have extremely high levels of resolution, a flat frequency response, great dynamics, and excellent high and low extension. The Altas SL emphasizes the leading edge of notes while the Opus presents the whole note in a more natural, even or balanced way. The Atlas soundstage did not move forward of the plane of the speakers to fill the room as much as the Opus did. I felt a real sense of immersion within the sound space with the Opus, much as I hear in a good live concert. The Opus presented a more complete, realistic impression of the music and was overall more convincing and real sounding. I can see why people like the Atlas, and with some music in Ian’s system, it could be equally or even more enjoyable but with a different flavor than the Opus. I understand why some may prefer the Atlas in other system contexts or if their tastes are different than mine.
Ian’s system is extremely transparent and resolving. The differences between the cartridges was pretty easy to hear. I so enjoyed the Opus that before I left, I asked Ian to play two more of my favorite LPs just so that I could savor the glorious sound:
1. Holst, The Planets, Mehta, LA Philharmonic, Decca SXL 6529, Speakers Corner
2. Melody Gardot, Worrisome Heart, UJC Music, 45 RPM
I had never heard the Planets sound more immersive and convincing. Everything was in the right place. The sound was big and glorious. The flow of the massed strings to the contrast of the solo violin within the group was utterly real sounding. The brass, wind and percussive instruments had a natural timbre that for brief moments I no longer thought I was listening to reproduced music. The speakers disappeared in the room and I was in a middle seat in the orchestra section. The back of the stage was distant. The sound was grand and full of emotion. I was left with the same overwhelming impression I have when listening to the BSO from the seventh row center: clarity.
Melody Gardot has a hauntingly beautiful voice. The Opus reached deeper into the grooves and presented this familiar recording with more emotional impact. Both the Planets and Gardot sounded similar to what I hear at home, but with more resolution and believability. What a way to end a fantastic listening session.
Postscript: I own the AirTight Supreme and MySonicLab Signature Gold cartridges. I had long suspected that the Opus combines what is great about the Supreme, namely timbral accuracy, natural body and warmth and added a bit more dynamics and extension from the Signature Gold. This is what I heard in Ian system. The Opus is the most complete and real sounding cartridge that I have heard. It is a sublime cartridge.