Lyra Olympos SL: Discontinued?


Hi all,

For a couple of years I have lusted after a Lyra Olympos SL. I know about the donor Parnassus requirement; I have had a Parnassus for about 15 years. :-)

Anyway, I am now able to contemplate such a purchase, but was told that no more Olymposes are being made, even for those with a suitable donor Parnassus. Is this correct? (Hopefully John Carr will see this post and be able to provide an authoritative answer!)

Obviously, if the Olympos is indeed no longer being made, I guess the logical alternative would be an Atlas. To those that have heard both the Atlas and Olympos SL, what are your thoughts, and how do they compare (and how do they compare to the Parnassus)? I guess this is another one for JCarr for the time being! :-)

Many thanks in advance for any insight!
richteer
Dear Rich:

It is true that we have taken the Olympos out of our public product lineup, partly because supplies of pre-owned Parnassus appear to be nearly gone from the markets.

However, we remain capable and willing to build an Olympos if there is a request (and a suitable Parnassus donor) for one. Note that the entire process of building an Olympos could take some time, as there is a good possibility that key components such as the titanium body may need to be machined from the raw materials.

The Olympos is a lovely-sounding cartridge, undoubtedly a bit euphonic, but many listeners seem to appreciate it precisely for that reason. The Titan has greater resolution and greater dynamics than the Olympos, but is less forgiving, and some listeners prefer the more euphonic, gentle and forgiving nature of the Olympos.

If you have a neutral system and a very good phono stage, you will probably prefer the Titan, if not, you may like the Olympos more.

The Atlas manages to be easy on the ears, but sounds superior in every possible way to the Olympos or Titan. It will let you hear new things from your records, and you will love them more for it (smile).

It's a bit like what you would hear if every LP in your collection were remastered from a better-quality tape and pressed more carefully on 180g vinyl at 45rpm.

The sonic improvements are not small.

kind regards, jonathan
Thanks for your insightful answer, Jonathan!

Just to be clear, would I be correct in thinking that given that I have sufficient funds for either an Atlas OR an Olympos SL (but not both at this time), the Atlas would be the better option, even though I have a Parnassus I can use as a donor)?

Assuming the Atlas is the one to go for, I'll probably hang on to my Parnassus (even though the suspension has recently failed, hence why I'm in the market for a new cartridge). If the funds ever become available, I like the idea of owner an ultra-rare Olympos SL, and I'll need my Parnassus to make it happen! :-)
Hi Rich: If your desire is for a beautiful-sounding, "feel-good" cartridge, the Olympos remains very attractive.

My personal choice would be for the Atlas rather than the Olympos, but that is because I am interested in the maximum density or intensity of musical expression that I can extract from LP grooves. However, I should point out that the Atlas strikes an excellent balance between revealing more of what's on the LPs and not making the inevitable warts hard to take. To my ears, the Atlas is a better-balanced cartridge than either the Titan or Olympos.

The Olympos is a physically beautiful object, one that I like very much. If I were you, I also would keep the Parnassus safe (smile).

kind regards, jonathan carr
Jonathan,
for the 1st time in all my audio years i broke the stylus.
i am sick. had 2 arms and using both and the guard not on it.
Can i send it to you for rebuild or what?

can u contact off line [email protected] or i call you?
Hi Jonathan,

Partially as a result of your comments, I have decided to take the plunge and order an Atlas! Many thanks for your input. And yes, I will be keeping my Parnassus safe in its box, just in case an Olympos SL becomes a financial possibility (lots of other pressing upgrades to buy first!)... :-)
So we've been to the mountain, and now, we are promised the world .....

but delivered an Atlas.
I'd like very much to buy your cartridge Richteer, if ever you decide to sale it.
Hi Jonathan,

Is Lyra supporting any sort of trade-in program for the Atlas? I have a Titan.
Hi Larry: Yes, assuredly we are. But being the engineering guy rather than the business guy, I don't know what the per-model trade-in values are.

I am reasonably sure that the list of models vs. trade-in values has been put into circulation among the Lyra dealer network; chances are that you can talk to your dealer and he will be able to tell you the answer(s). And if that doesn't pan out for whatever reason, you could call Audioquest and talk to Alasdair Patrick.

kind regards, jonathan carr
Hi Pentatonia,

What I mean is, don't hold your breath waiting for me to put my Parnassus up for sale; you'll probably suffocate! I currently have no plans to sell my Parnassus, because I want to keep the option of owning an Olympos SL one day. Sorry! :-)
Richteer, how did the story go on? Did you bought an Atlas? Or an Atlas AND Olympos?
Or do someone other have direct comparisons between the two, maybe Atlas and Olympos SL?
Thanks for any insight and information.