I saw it. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. The finish is out of this world. Albert said furniture quality..I don't have any furniture that nice! Really special.

We ab'd those 2 cartridges a lot. I have a Atlas...and I've heard his supreme a few times over the years. First, neither is wrong. Present slightly different perspectives. It's almost on vocals/classical I like the supreme a lil better, on jazz the Atlas better. But this is over simplifying it....it's really down to you like the piano on the Supreme but the strings on the Atlas. Then the next recording it might flip the other way around.

The Atlas seems to be a touch more dynamic, a touch more resolution..the Supreme a lil more weight on the back end of a piano note or the cello. Both are great and handling siblance...rendering voices and soundstage.

As I told Albert when I left, you'd really have to hear the Piano in the recording venue to know which one "more" right.

I think for you, what's better is what matches to your system more. The Atlas is higher output...so easier on the phono stage "possibly" If you want a slight nudge in resolution or dynamics, go for the Lyra. If you want a touch of warmth...go for the Air Tight.

Honestly, they are close, they are both good. That Turntable is fantasic...

Hope this helps !!

jfrech January 04, 2013 08:20

John,

Thanks for posting on my thread the other day. I just got Albert's SP10 MK3 in black lacquer. Did you see it there when you went to listen? So did Albert have both V12s on his table with Atlas and Supreme? Did you guys A/B them?

Any further thoughts between the two cartridges besides what you posted on my thread? Did one handle sibilance and spit better? Which rendered voices more real? Soundstage?

Thanks,

Mike

mikeba316 January 03, 2013 10:49

Hi Ed, Happy New Year, not yet o the XLF's or Q7's, I do want to go hear some other speakers, I think Avalon also has a new speaker coming out soon. I am mostly really hoping Wilson has a Maxx 3.5 or 4..that's upgradable like the Maxx 1 to 2's were. Maybe this is wishful thinking ;-)

I am very envious on your vinyl front end...I am going to Albert's tomorrow and will hear his mk 3 again...

The Zitrons really settle down after a very long break in...they are really amongst the best. Power cords are so hard...these seem to really hit the clarity/warmth/resolution/extremes just right...at least for me in my system..

Any changes or thoughts on your set up? Really looks great to !

jfrech December 31, 2012 18:05

John, love your new room. Awesome! Have you heard the XLF's yet? Or Majico's new Q7?

Sounds like you have found the Zitron PCs to be the keeper.

Ed

cipherjuris December 31, 2012 16:42

Hi, I think what's next is a maybe trying a diff tonearm and maybe better inerconnects off my dCS. I am pretty happy with the sound I am getting, the room was a major improvement.

Lenny, saw you sent a pic to their facebook page...hmm i can't decide if I like the car or the speakers better ;-)

jfrech December 31, 2012 07:40

Hey, that's cool! Did they contact you or grab pics from the net?

lenny_zwik December 30, 2012 12:59

Well done my friend.

What's next on the HiFi road map?

Spin the Yellowjackets.

lapierre December 30, 2012 12:17

Wilson Audio has my system featured on their facebook page...kinda cool...
http://www.facebook.com/WilsonAudio?fref=ts

jfrech December 30, 2012 09:22

Guys thanks for all the kind words ! Albert and Lenny any time in Jan...my work schedule calms down some. Merry Christmas !!

jfrech December 22, 2012 06:53

Sweet!! When can I experience it in person?

lenny_zwik December 21, 2012 20:04

Beautiful! Enjoy.

jazdoc December 21, 2012 11:04

The only way that room could look better, would be if it was in my house. Congrats!!!

tom_hankins December 21, 2012 11:02

Wow is right! Congrats, Jfrech...and enjoy!

lloydelee21 December 21, 2012 10:15

WOW!!!!
Regards
Bigpond

bigpond December 21, 2012 07:35

That room would look much better in person. :^).

albertporter December 20, 2012 17:14

System edited: Add new room picture

jfrech December 20, 2012 15:07

John,
The Lyra Atlas was in the Micro Seiki, soon to be in the Graham Phantom and then the SME V-12.

Let me know a good time, I would love to come listen again.

albertporter December 05, 2012 18:29

As soon as you can bring some of those killer purist 25th cables for me to try
;-), I owe you a call...might be Friday...Looking forward to reading about your graham and SME arm tryouts...Did I read you had the Atlas in the SME? Did you like it?

jfrech December 05, 2012 17:08

I need to hear it, when's the listening party?

albertporter December 05, 2012 10:45

System edited: Wow ! Finally finished my Rives project. Everything is now done. Installed 4 RPG Bad Arc Panels last night and 14 RPG Absorbers as the final components. The room is massively better...OMG....It's like much better new speakers for just a lil $$'s

jfrech December 05, 2012 08:54

Hi, no didn't read me wrong...the Atlas does seem to unravel stuff better...which to me I hear resolution from this.

What arms do you have ? I think this must be my next move...I am guessing a Reed, SME v-12 or a Graham...The Schroder linear tracker is VERY interesting I must say...

jfrech November 01, 2012 08:33

Thanks for the description. For the Atlas to have more detail than the Allaerts I find surprising as the Allaerts has more detail than the Titan. Got me thinking or maybe I read you wrong. Mind you the Allaerts is incredibly natural. I need to try it on my Schroder. Just lazy and happy as is.

dgad October 31, 2012 23:39

Hi Gail, good to hear from you. Hope all is going well. I have not tried the upsampler yet. I have long suspected the firewire cable isn't optimal, I wonder if this route sounds better because you can use the AES/EBU balance digital outs or the differences in decoding or some of both.

jfrech October 31, 2012 07:14

John,
On the digital front: have you tried using the upsampler on the PCM output from the transport? (PCM to 24/176)

If you can, you may want to give it a try. I have listened to this setup in comparison to letting the transport upsample PCM to DSD. I hear a nice improvement. Perhaps something to experiment.

gshelley October 27, 2012 10:44

I have about 30-40 hours on the Atlas now. I also think I have it dialed in pretty spot on. Still going back and forth some between the Nagra MC stage (with the Nagra Transformers) or using the Nagra via MM card and EAR MC 4 SUT.

Nagra direct is a touch more pure/transparent. Via EAR MC 4 more weight on each note. I like em both to be honest...almost which recording dictates.

All this said (I had the same tests with the Nagra on the Allaerts). The Lyra is definitely has more resolution, unravels music better, and that speed and dynamics is startling at times. It's really big step up from my former Skala.

The Allaerts seems very even handed (nothing added/subtracted up and down the frequency range), seems a touch better at imaging depth and width, and more warmth presence..especially on vocals.

Which is more accurate is hard to say. They are both very good and I'm lucky to have em...

These are hard choices aren't they !

jfrech October 27, 2012 09:33