Transfiguration Proteus

[MylesBAstor]

Can the VPI 3D Arm be swapped for say a 10.5i on a VPI table without any modifications to the arms mounting platform?

In theory yes, in reality, there might be an issue. A friend ran into an unanticipated problem because of the vintage of his unipivot bearing with damping. The height of the piece is such that side of the damping trough won't allow the unipivot to reach the bearing surface inside the 3D arm. Hopefully this is a the exception rather than the rule; OTOH this is easily addressed by changing the unipivot that takes all of a minute.

The arm lift, because of the different shape of the new arm, also needs to be changed and I assume that HW will include a new one in each update kit. That too requires all of a minute to change (loosening one set screw).

 

[nsgarch]

My (I admit, somewhat jaundiced) view of the 'new" Transfiguration Proteus:

I looked at the mechanical drawing of the Proteus on the Profundo website, and the magnetic layout of this supposedly "new" cartridge is actually of the pre-Temper design! The Tempers and Orpheus used an all-enveloping magnet (more of a cylinder than a ring) into which the coil was inserted. The advantages of that design were (A) a shorter cantilever (like a Colibri) and (B) a coil that was fully immersed in the magnetic flux -- whereas this new Proteus has the same 'double ring' magnet design (one fore and one aft of the coil) similar to the cheaper Aria design! This is "old technology" and I wouldn't touch it!

In addition to what I just said, the output of this "new" Proteus is only 0.2mV! WTF?! The Tempers and Orpheus have their coils in such a strong magnetic flux that they were able to reduce the number of coil windings, thus increasing transient response without having to reduce output. I don't think anyone should have to "put up with" MC output below 0.4mV anymore, now that we have the technology to make finer coil wire, coils with less turns, and stronger flux fields. This Proteus thing looks to me like a desperate attempt to keep the company going after the master has died, by resurrecting old, easier-to-build designs.

I have a Temper W, which I love, and I'm keeping my eye out for a used Orpheus L! $6000 my foot!

 

[jcarr]

Hi Neil: Both 'double-ring' magnets and cylindrical magnets have their pros and cons - the picture is not nearly as clear-cut as you try to make it seem.

For example, with dual disc magnets fore and aft, the cantilever needs to reach through the front magnet to touch the groove, so it needs to be longer. An all-enveloping magnet does away with the front magnet, but instead, imposes extra wall thickness (of the magnet) between the coils and the LP surface, and the cantilever needs to reach past this (at a 20 or 23-degree angle) to touch the groove, so it needs to be longer. And?

>This Proteus thing looks to me like a desperate attempt to keep the company going after the master has died.<

?? It's quite impolite to say that Kanda is dead, when he is very much alive and active. Here's his website URL.

http://www.azusa-st.com/mutech/index.html

Any of the technology look familiar?

hth, jonathan carr

 

[pcosta]

Has anyone listened to the Proteus yet. I am considering it and a Dynavector XV-1s. I have heard the XV-1s, but not the Proteus.

I had a chance to listen to it at RMAF last weekend and I foolishly passed the room that had it way to many times.

 

[JackD201]

Myles has a review in the works. Shouldn't be long now. Mine is still in its box.

 

[jadis]

I heard a Proteus last month in a friend's system. Here it is, on a Linn Akito tonearm. I can't exactly pinpoint its sound character as the entire system is a bit unfamiliar to me as I last visited him maybe 3 or 4 years ago, though generally, I cannot fault the sound I heard.

 

[Lotus]

Has anyone listened to the Proteus yet. I am considering it and a Dynavector XV-1s. I have heard the XV-1s, but not the Proteus.

I had a chance to listen to it at RMAF last weekend and I foolishly passed the room that had it way to many times.

Yes i have had one on demo for around 4 months. I love it personally. Its a wonderful cart. Substantially better than the orpheus .... still natural but with a lot more bite, definition and resolution.

I use mine in a Reed 3p, Beat turntable into Allnic HA3000/H5000

 

[rockitman]

Yes i have had one on demo for around 4 months. I love it personally. Its a wonderful cart. Substantially better than the orpheus .... still natural but with a lot more bite, definition and resolution.

I use mine in a Reed 3p, Beat turntable into Allnic HA3000/H5000

how come you run the headamp into the H5000 ? Is the cart's impedance > 400 ohms ? I have been running my Koetsu Coralstone direct at 22db gain. It sounds amazing with this phono stage.

 

[Lotus]

It will sound even better using the Head Amp as well though

 

[rockitman]

It will sound even better using the Head Amp as well though

I understand that you run the head amp through the MM inputs. My concern, more unnecessary circuitry to impact the audio signal using a head amp. My carts seem to load perfectly just using the turnover knobs. It must be system dependent I suppose.

 

[Lotus]

Not really and its not really to do with loading. The head amp is a different way of handling the signal as opposed to the H5000 step ups. You add some circuitry but then you also bypass some too.

There may be a little more noise but the sonic benefits are there in significant quantities so not really system dependent.

A small quantity of people do prefer the delivery of the in-built suts (warmth, softer, more relaxed) but to this pair of ears, I would always use an Allnic phono stage with the head amp. More speed, purity, immediacy, resolution, accuracy and neutrality and just a different way with space and sound pressurisation. I can't go back to the bare phono after using the head amp, its like jumping down a whole level in the phono stage range.

To give you an idea, adding the HA3000 to an H3000 isn't like a small improvement that you might get with say a better mains cable or better isolation but its like jumping up a whole model ... like you just turned the H3000 into an "H4000".

I found this to be just as true with the H5000. David at Hammertone agrees with me and uses two of them into his own H5000. I am a huge fan of the head amp, it does wonderful things and I have found this with all moving coils I have tried and into various electronics and speakers too.

 

[pcosta]

Yes i have had one on demo for around 4 months. I love it personally. Its a wonderful cart. Substantially better than the orpheus .... still natural but with a lot more bite, definition and resolution.

I use mine in a Reed 3p, Beat turntable into Allnic HA3000/H5000

Lotus

Thanks for your reply. What loading do you use with it. Since you are using your with essentially an active phono as apposed to a SUT. Would you use the same value for the headamp and SUT in your Allnic.

If I choose the Transfiguration over the Dynavector, I would run it with a SUT at approx. 100 ohms loading.

 

[Lotus]

Hiya pcosta, the head amp I use 100. With a stock H3000 or H1500 I use 177 or 278.


In a few weeks I will be able to compare TaleaII/Puritas with Reed3P/Proteus. Should be interesting.

 

[pcosta]

Lotus

Have you ever heard the Dynavector XV-1s compared to the Proteus.

 

[Lotus]

Hi, not directly in AB but i have owned xv1s and sold a number of used examples so know it fairly well.

 

[pcosta]

Lotus

Since you're a dealer for Transfiguration I gather it is hard to not have an unbiased opinion and I have no problem with that. Do they have a similar sound. Is one more mellow than the other. How is their tracking abilities.

 

[Lotus]

I don't wish to get into it too much as i know there are a lot of happy xv1s owners out there but that cart is not for me. Whilst I respect it and it does very little wrong and so much right, for me i just find it a bit mechanical and lacking in magic.

This is absolutely not biased towards what I do or do not sell. There are a whole line of carts that I have used personally which i will never sell either which i preferred to the xv1s .... miyajima, zyx, miyabi etc.

The proteus would follow this same sentiment. It is smoother, more natural sounding (non analytical) than the dynavector with a little more beauty to its tonality and you just notice it less.

I generally like very selfless cartridges. I dont like them to 'show' me stuff. No pyrotechnics, just get the hell out of the way and disappear please ! Hope that makes sense.

 

[pcosta]

Thanks for your honest opinion.

 

[rockitman]

Not really and its not really to do with loading. The head amp is a different way of handling the signal as opposed to the H5000 step ups. You add some circuitry but then you also bypass some too.

There may be a little more noise but the sonic benefits are there in significant quantities so not really system dependent.

A small quantity of people do prefer the delivery of the in-built suts (warmth, softer, more relaxed) but to this pair of ears, I would always use an Allnic phono stage with the head amp. More speed, purity, immediacy, resolution, accuracy and neutrality and just a different way with space and sound pressurisation. I can't go back to the bare phono after using the head amp, its like jumping down a whole level in the phono stage range.

To give you an idea, adding the HA3000 to an H3000 isn't like a small improvement that you might get with say a better mains cable or better isolation but its like jumping up a whole model ... like you just turned the H3000 into an "H4000".

I found this to be just as true with the H5000. David at Hammertone agrees with me and uses two of them into his own H5000. I am a huge fan of the head amp, it does wonderful things and I have found this with all moving coils I have tried and into various electronics and speakers too.

Interesting..perhaps I will need to investigate this further. I only have 72 hours breakin so far. Once I get a better handle on the fully broken in transformer sound, I will make a decision on whether to pursue the head amp.

 

[Lotus]

It certainly won't hurt to try one Christian and the chances are you will deeply impressed.