During September Locrian Audio became a ZYX dealer. We received an Ultimate EX Omega (subject of this thread) and the Ultimate EX Dynamic, for which I will come back in the future. ZYX was not in my radar for many years and I never owned one before my collaboration with the importer of ZYX, SORA Sound in Chicago. My reference cartridges have been the Shelter Harmony, Accuphase AC-6, Ikeda 9xx, Ikeda SAI, MSL Signature Gold, Ortofon A-90, Lyra Skala, Jan Allaerts and Transfiguration Orpheus. At the lower end, my go to cartridges are the VDH Frog and the current Shelter 901.
I selected the Omega because I was intrigued by the lapis lazuli balancing ball in the front of the cartridge, the C-1000 Carbon cantilever and the middle of the road pricing, affordable by most audiophiles with a solid analog rig.
The Omega arrived in a unique packaging that I had not seen before. A colorful silk-cotton pouch wrapped in a sealed clear wrap with the marks of the model and the serial number. Inside we have its light carton box with the model identification and the actual cartridge box secured on top by 4 screws. What is interesting, is the multiple non-tampering controls provided by ZYX that ensure the cartridge is brand new and never opened before. The two "Inspected" tapes come off only if you cut them with a sharp knife and the cartridge itself is wrapped with a tape that once removed, it is unusable any further. ZYX also provides a brush, 2 sets of screws and a small screw driver.
I will install the Omega on the Moerch DP-8 12" tonearm and once I have played about 50 records, I will start my critical listening and come back with performance impressions.
I selected the Omega because I was intrigued by the lapis lazuli balancing ball in the front of the cartridge, the C-1000 Carbon cantilever and the middle of the road pricing, affordable by most audiophiles with a solid analog rig.
The Omega arrived in a unique packaging that I had not seen before. A colorful silk-cotton pouch wrapped in a sealed clear wrap with the marks of the model and the serial number. Inside we have its light carton box with the model identification and the actual cartridge box secured on top by 4 screws. What is interesting, is the multiple non-tampering controls provided by ZYX that ensure the cartridge is brand new and never opened before. The two "Inspected" tapes come off only if you cut them with a sharp knife and the cartridge itself is wrapped with a tape that once removed, it is unusable any further. ZYX also provides a brush, 2 sets of screws and a small screw driver.
I will install the Omega on the Moerch DP-8 12" tonearm and once I have played about 50 records, I will start my critical listening and come back with performance impressions.
