Calling all ZYX aficionados

I just received my UNIverse today - and since I didn't have my new phono preamp yet, I installed it on a friends Avid Acutus table for a quick listen. We did this during our lunch hour.

Before installing the UNIverse we listened to his Dynavector XV1s. My initial impression was that the Dynavector sounded great. In the first few minutes of listening, I mentioned to my friend that this was similar to the sound I was looking for. Upon continued listening, I'd say the Dynavector XV1s was somewhat slow, very precise and very refined. To some extent, the Dynavector XV1s and its highly refined character made me wonder if the cartridge would become somewhat boring to listen to over the long term. Instruments were scaled accurately but seemed somewhat recessed as if they were off in the distance - under developed harmonically & far less audible compared to vocals.

While we removed the Dynavector and mounted the ZYX UNIverse, we both commented about the "hi-fi" nature of the Shelter 901. The 901 being less refined somehow made listening more enjoyable - but the paradox is that the Shelter's splashy character always seemed to leave me craving more refinement.

Upon completing the installation of the UNIverse we listened.

What I can say to summarize my quick (15 minutes) with the UNIverse is that it clearly is a great cartridge - new right out of the box. It has similar refinement to the Dynavector but seems to have better developed harmonics which make it more interesting to listen to. Instruments and vocals seemed more balanced and equal. The pace of the UNIverse was to some extent on par with the Dynavector (somewhat slow). I wasn't expecting this because everything I've read about the ZYX cartridges proclaim it to be very fast - which was not my impression at all. Cartridges like the Shelter 901 or Benz LP seem to be much faster than either the XV1s or the UNI.

The UNIverse has a great precision again much like the Dynavector but couples that with an open transparency & sweeter more inviting highs that the Dynavector seems to lack altogether (in comparison).

My friend thought the UNIverse was "tubey" sounding - full bodied and somewhat rich in the mids. Again, this was different than what I expected - particularly having read much about the ZYX cartridges in general.

We both felt the UNIverse (not broken in) may to some extent exaggerate the size of instruments by a small fraction vs. the XV1s.

Well.. that's the best I can do in 15 minutes of listening to the new cartridge. I'll keep y'all posted as this thing breaks in.

So far I am very impressed.

Sirspeedy - nice post. As I am sure you well know, most audiophiles are intelligent enough to realize that a lunch-time audition is not enough to produce a definitive result.

I presume your reference to Arthur (and how your adopting his way of looking at things) is in reference to his "Reviewing the Reviewers" stance, however you might also note that Arthur lists a ZYX cartridge at the top of his recommended components list.

Thomasheisig - good point but think about it a bit... A quick "set-up during lunch" so to speak, will most likely produce inferior results - obviously. What it does provide is a starting point for the evaluation process and fine tuning to begin. With the fine tuning, everything can only get better (or worse) right?

My initial impressions of the ZYX were very, very positive - but was somewhat different than what's been written online about the ZYX cartridges. Furthermore, if the cartridge wasn't set up to its maximum potential in the brief lunch-hour session, then that to me is truly quite impressive & speaks volumes about the potential for the Universe cartridge when set up correctly. Wouldn't it? The cartridge sounded great and IMHO better than other cartridges which lived there previously & were set up correctly.

I had initially intended to buy an Allaerts MC2 Finish but couldn't stand to wait until August to get it. The Dynavector XV1s was my second choice but had to be special ordered (none in stock). My impatience is really what drove my decision to purchase a ZYX and hence, "test" the reviews regarding the ZYX products. The reviews are so good - I had to find out for myself.

During the first audition of the UNIverse, the system was Avid Acutus w/ SME V, Supratek Syrah, LAMM M1.1 amps, Dynaudio Consequence speakers. When I get the UNIverse home today, I will be using a Manley Steelhead for evaluation.