More dynamic system

[snskeybyrne]

More dynamic system
Hi my system is as follows: Michell Gorbe TT with Origin Live Illustrious arm and Benz Micro low cartridge with trichord dino mk2. digital is Musical Fidelity KW sacd. Pre is Cyrus 7 with Cyrus psu. Power is 4 Cyrus mono x bi amping Gershman Avant Ggarde florstanders these are a Canadian 3 way speaker. Iam fairly happy with the system but I think I need more punch and dynamics from my TT. Iam considering changing my cartridge buying secondhand say around £700 to £800. Iam wondering will this give me what Iam after or do I need to change my phono amp or both? I listen to most music but pop. I like a bit of rock but, mainly acoustic, jazz, classical, folk, occasionaly electronic. Any suggestions much appreciated.


MIke Byrne.

 

[RobHolt]

Hi Mike,

I think I answered this over on the Wam.

The Cyrus amplifiers are perfectly fine, keep them.

The turntable is highly neutral but some including me regard the Gyrorbe mods as a downgrade. It doesn't turn the Gyro into an Orbe lite. One tip is to remove the 'densodamp' material from the chassis which in my experience rather mutes dynamics and punch. Worth a try in the first instance.

Another option is to try a thin soft mat on the platter. Something like the very thin wool mat sold for the Rega P9 & 10 works well. It will change the sound of the TT making it plumper, fuller and more expansive. How well this works depends on the balance of the system and isn't usually recommended but you might prefer the result.

Lastly you could try a different cartridge. The most dynamic I've heard are Lyra but they are also a rather bright.

 

[DSJR]

I'll probably be flamed for this, but the OL arm could be replaced with something a little more inert, allowing the cartridge to sing more naturally. One of the better Rega arms could be a start (why take a proper design, then chop it up, adding significant resonances (i.e. making it far worse) and with iffy finish too and charge a fortune for it?), or possibly an NAS AceSpace if it can have a Rega-compatible base plate.

Just a thought above, but records will always have a bit more romance than a decent digital source. Well set up Decca cartridges close the gap though :lol:

 

[Werner]

Take the Gyro apart and remove, indeed, the Densodamp.

Then carefully level the TT's support, ensuring it is sturdy and stable, and remains so when loaded with the Gyro.

Rebuild Gyro, ensuring that each stage is perfectly level. Clean and lubricate bearing. Get a new belt, and install it in the correct direction (under magnification you'll see scales in the rubber surface, align so that the open parts point away from the motor pulley; if you can't see them, fine, not all belts have them).
Ensure that the arm cable does not impede the subchassis bounce and that it is clamped to the chassis, not directly let down onto the support.
Tighten the clamp only slightly, just enough to flatten the record.

You can consider a new cartridge, a Lyra Delos is excellent, but do keep in mind that Michell themselves are now using Benz ...