I have a lyra Atlas and a Allaerts MC 2 Finish. Grand Prix Monaco Turntable with a TriPlanar (current model), EAR MC4 Step up, Nagra VPS.
The Allaerts is finicking on set up and on the phono stage. Honestly, I am on the hunt for a better phono stage...unsure if I'll go solid state (like Pass or Boulder) or Tubes and Trannies (like Allnic or Lamm)
So my set up with the Atlas is near perfect from a phono stage perspective, with the Allaert's it's on the edge of being a issue (lyra is .56mv and Allaerts is .2mv) I get a little hum, microphonics in the cable off the SUT. I get about 18 db gain of the tap I use on the EAR and another 49 db from the MM input on the Nagra..
All this said...The Allaert's MC 2 Finish is a fantastic cartridge. dynamic, fast, natural, ultra focus and presentation on the sound stage wide and deep, but not stretched images...
All if this in comparison to the Lyra Atlas, which is one of best...
The Allaerts is finicking on set up and on the phono stage. Honestly, I am on the hunt for a better phono stage...unsure if I'll go solid state (like Pass or Boulder) or Tubes and Trannies (like Allnic or Lamm)
So my set up with the Atlas is near perfect from a phono stage perspective, with the Allaert's it's on the edge of being a issue (lyra is .56mv and Allaerts is .2mv) I get a little hum, microphonics in the cable off the SUT. I get about 18 db gain of the tap I use on the EAR and another 49 db from the MM input on the Nagra..
All this said...The Allaert's MC 2 Finish is a fantastic cartridge. dynamic, fast, natural, ultra focus and presentation on the sound stage wide and deep, but not stretched images...
All if this in comparison to the Lyra Atlas, which is one of best...