ZYX Universe X/SB-2N

mudshark1 · Aug 14, 2024

I just bought this well cared for cart with approximately 300 hours on it and I'm really looking forward to hearing it on my Scoutmaster. I've had a Bloom 3 for a few years and really enjoyed it. At present I'm listening to a Dynavector 20X-2 or an ART9xa. Are there any setup quirks or tips I should be aware of with the new (to me) ZYX? There's not much info available on it so I thought I'd ask the community for any pertinent info.
Thanks,
Sam

tima · Aug 14, 2024

Mudshark is a Zappa word.

mudshark1 · Aug 15, 2024

tima said:
Mudshark is a Zappa word.

Yes it is. Mud...Sh...Sh...Shark

DasguteOhr · Aug 28, 2024

Vta tonearm paralell to platter , vtf 1.95-1.97g (measured at the height of an LP on the platter). very low series variation with the zyx universe.low antskating force have fun with it.
most cartridges sound grey compared to the universe hard to beat.

mudshark1 · Aug 28, 2024

That's pretty much where I'm at. 2.0 vtf, vta is parallel, low antiskate, loaded at 100 ohms. I really like it so far, very dynamic.

mudshark1 · Sep 16, 2024

After listening to it for a while and the new has worn off, it sounds like the stylus is pretty much worn out so it's off to Steve Leung at VAS for a check up. The guy I got it from claimed it had 500 hours on it but I think he was being a bit optimistic.

mudshark1 · Thursday at 3:22 PM

Steve completely rebuilt it and now it sounds very nice indeed. The #4 wire post was loose and had been glued and the glue had seeped into the suspension rubber which had to be replaced. The stylus was worn out and Steve replaced it with an FGS diamond, at least the cantilever was ok. He cleaned and calibrated everything as needed. The person that sold me this cart was much less than truthful about its condition but now I finally have one of the best sounding carts I've ever mounted on my Scoutmaster. It's always a risk buying a used cartridge and I got stung with this one but it turned out for the best. It really does sound great now that it's fixed and broken in.

ledoux1238 · 2025-02-21T19:07:19-0600

I had a kinda similar issue with a ZYX Ultimate Astro Gold bought used. The owner claimed 50 hours. It played nice for five hours. Then with the change of wires and phono stage, one channel went dead. Long story short, it was sent to Steve Leung. He diagnosed internal wire breakage on one channel and loose soldering on the other channel. It took a total of maybe three weeks, Taipei - NJ - Taipei. Brilliant!

mudshark1 · 2025-02-22T03:06:47-0600

It took a while longer to get mine straightened out. We didn't find the loose post until I got it back the first time. I was mounting it and noticed the post was moving into the body when I was sliding the wire clip on to it. Luckily it dodn't break the internal wires. Sent it back to Steve to repair that and that's when we figured out where the glue came from that had gotten into the suspension rubber. The previous owner had tried to glue the post and messed the rubber up. IIRC it was about two months from when I sent it to him the first time before I finally got it back for good. I will say this, the FGS stylus sounds fantastic on it. He surprised me with it as he chose it and didn't tell me. He said it was a perfect choice for its cantilever and he was right. I'm very happy with it and that's what counts.

Juiced · 2025-02-22T03:27:58-0600

My Zyx u-ex 100 sound more dynamic with deeper and controlled bass with a heavier ortofon lh-9000 headshell, compared much lighter sme s2-R headshell.

ZYX Universe X/SB-2N

mudshark1

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tima

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DasguteOhr

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mudshark1

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mudshark1

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ledoux1238

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Juiced

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