new cartridge; Ortofon Anna, first impressions

[vinylphilemag]

Lyra is based on what J Carr has said. He indicated at minimum 2500 hours and up to 3000 if looked after. I have no reason to doubt Jonathon. I have had a Kleos since June but have now returned it waiting on the Atlas. My own first hand experience on Lyra longevity will be some way off

Although it didn't see much use for 4 or 5 years, I've had my Lyra Parnassus since I bought it new, 15 or 16 years ago. Although I don't doubt it doesn't sound as good now as when it was new, it still sounds wonderful to me. Well, it DID. The suspension recently broke, so I am now in the market for a new cartridge. A Lyra Atlas is at the top of my list!

 

[mep]

How long does that little 'diaper" last that Lyra puts on the bottom end of their cartridges?

 

[MylesBAstor]

How long does that little 'diaper" last that Lyra puts on the bottom end of their cartridges?

Never had one come off. May get a little dirty as intended though.

 

[mep]

It just looks funky.

 

[docvale]

Hi Mike, Hi friends,

Reading the comments about this new Ortofon was fun
I have a question for you guys. I have always heard that Ortofons (at least the SPUs) like a step-up/MM stage better than an active MC stage. Also, apart of the Lyras (which are somehow the most popular carts, among the super-hiend, in Italy), most of the Italian vinyl lovers use step-ups with other brands, specially Dynavector and Koetsu.

Reading this forum, plus US magazines, I've noticed that here step-ups seem not that popular. What do you think about it?

 

[cjfrbw]

Hi Mike, Hi friends,

Reading the comments about this new Ortofon was fun
I have a question for you guys. I have always heard that Ortofons (at least the SPUs) like a step-up/MM stage better than an active MC stage. Also, apart of the Lyras (which are somehow the most popular carts, among the super-hiend, in Italy), most of the Italian vinyl lovers use step-ups with other brands, specially Dynavector and Koetsu.

Reading this forum, plus US magazines, I've noticed that here step-ups seem not that popular. What do you think about it?

I think it depends. Most step ups and cartridges are like binary stars, your are getting the sound of the combo which can vary with transformer etc, but a nice combo is hard to beat.

I would say if your favored cartridge is over .3 mV, then it may be worth the noise penalty to try a good active stage. Below .3mV, it is almost necessary to use a step up. Your tolerance for the noise penalty may be the determining factor.

I don't think the ultra low output cartridge of yore is necessarily the best cartridge any more.

I use the Allnic active nuvistor head amp HA3000, and just did not go back to using the built in transformers of the Allnic phono stage once the active was in place.

I do have a tolerance for the noise penalty, and generally like the sound of the active better, but I don't think that any active stage will ever be as quiet as transformer coupling.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

some further thoughts on the Anna.

in late January Joel Durand came over and installed the Anna and i loved it. but i only had it installed for a few days and then was out of town for a week so i loaned the Anna to Joel to play with in his system and learn it's tricks. i figured he would find it's ideal settings in his own system. then i returned and picked up the Anna from him and he was then out of town for awhile. so i re-installed it on the Telos.....and to the Anna's credit it sounded fine, but i strongly suspected that it was not perfectly dialed in. knowing Joel would return i did not chase ultimate set-up. not that i could get there on my own, but i knew that Joel could and would.

not that the Anna sounded wrong in any way. only that the amazing energy i first heard was somehow not fully manifest. the information but not quite all the life.

and today Joel did return and nail down the Anna set-up. it's now more broken in than initially, Joel knows it better.......and i must say that it is a force of nature. breathtaking. alive. yet so sure of itself and sooooooo effortless. the music just leaps from the grooves.

tonality is quite advanced from the A90. much more color and richness, a sweetness of tone....but not any sort of thickness or blunting. just halographic color with infinite shading.

the A90 is a particularly dynamic and alive cartridge. the Anna is another level of dynamics entirely. the Anna has such an ease and unforced kind of power and control; like a mega watt amp but with the finesse of a tiny watt SET. so the music is just so relaxed but with all the tension and explosiveness you might imagine. the music moves with more synergy and and natural flow. more real.

did i say this cartridge is full of energy?

i guess i did.

you have not heard a String Quartet or Cello Lp until you've heard it thru the Anna. and i'll give the Telos and NVS their rightful share of the credit too. foundation, body, tender soaring string tone, and every tiny musical part of a string quartet comes alive right in front of you. the music gets personal and captivates.

bass. big bold ballsey bass. it packs a whallop. and the attack is explosive and precise. yet there is perfect focus. there is a wonderful bloom, and unlimited decay, yet never overshoot or rounding, and not a trace of edge or roughness.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Hi Mike

the Ortofon replicant 100 cartridge life specifically came when someone asked Ortofon on email and posted their response - I think it was in audiogon but no time to go searching ATM. maybe the weekend.

I should post you my A90 so you can compare

cheers

Shane,

did you happen to run across that reference to an e-mail from Ortofon regarding life expectancy?

thanks,

Mike

 

[jazdoc]

I had my first opportunity to listen to the Anna in Mike L's system. It's as good as advertised. More later after I've had a chance to recover from the experience; first I'm going to smoke a cigarette, rollover and fall asleep

 

[mep]

I had my first opportunity to listen to the Anna in Mike L's system. It's as good as advertised. More later after I've had a chance to recover from the experience; first I'm going to smoke a cigarette, rollover and fall asleep

Wow! Good as sex eh? You both have the same tonearm in common right?

 

[Ki Choi]

Wow! Good as sex eh? You both have the same tonearm in common right?

This is getting kinky...sharing tonearm and smoking after the act...hope you had proper protection... Well it sounds like you've caught it regardless...;-)

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Wow! Good as sex eh? You both have the same tonearm in common right?

we (Jazdoc and myself) do both have Durand Telos tonearms.

12 inchers.

 

[XV-1]

Shane,

did you happen to run across that reference to an e-mail from Ortofon regarding life expectancy?

thanks,

Mike

Can't say I have looked yet Mike.

Rockitman will have something as he asked Ortofon Europe and they confirmed replicant stylus 800-1000 hours.

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=277141&page=3


BTW, the Anna sounds wonderful from your description - almost like a koetsu without the honey.

Unfortunately I will never buy another cart with the replicant 100 stylus. The Lyra Atlas and Dyna XV-1s will do me fine for the next few years thou.

 

[ortofoninc]

As there have been a few questions about Ortofon stylus life lately, we would like to set some facts straight.



Understandably, there had previously been some confusion as we had once issued a statement claiming 600-1000 hours for stylus life. This, unfortunately, was regarding the lifetime of “tipped” or “bonded” type diamonds which are found primarily in the cartridges we manufacture for DJ use.



However, according to our designer and engineers, HiFi cartridges with Nude diamonds can expect to far exceed 2,000 hours with proper care and maintenance. The precursors to this lifespan are as follows:



Proper care must be taken to ensure the proper alignment, tracking force, and azimuth of the cartridge during setup.
Appropriate vinyl care must be exercised regularly in order to keep each record free of dust, record release compound, record sleeve residue, and other contaminants.
The stylus must be gently cleaned without the use of solvents, directly before and after each record side is played.


Another consideration to be made is that the diamond stylus will begin to exhibit physical changes after approximately 1,000 hours. This is a feature of all diamond styli from all manufacturers, not uniquely ones used by Ortofon. To a degree, the usability of cartridges in the thousands of hours becomes a personal preference rather than an absolute.



Lastly, Ortofon does not use cultured (synthetic) diamonds.


We hope that this information has cleared up any former confusion.





Regards,



Ortofon

 

[ack]

I am sure we all thank you for the clarification. It would REALLY be nice to update the FAQ and include the above language on every applicable cartridge's web page on your site...

 

[ortofoninc]

That is next - we have also sent out this information in our monthly HiFi Newsletter.

Thanks for everyone's input on this topic. We appreciate your feedback!

 

[rockitman]

Thank you ortofon.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Thank you ortofon.

+1

 

[JackD201]

Thank you as well from an A90 and multiple Concord owner.

 

[LCat]

Have A90 in my stable - great cart but not as good as ZYX Sigma 2/Univers and top line VDH Colibry XPW - wounder if Annacan eclipse them?