Moving on from Benz LP


Hi Guys,

I currently have a Benz LP. I'm happy enough with its performance but it has a lot of hours on the clock. Given its age, I was thinking about either re-tipping or changing it.

Any thoughts on how it would compare to the current crop of new carts at a similar or lesser price point?
bazb

Showing 2 responses by dougdeacon

David12,
I note that the Airy 3 on your system page is the high output, silver-coil version. If anyone asked me what to expect from a HO, silver-coil ZYX, "flat and lifeless" would be what I'd predict (and have actually reported, many times). The low output, copper coil versions are altogether different. They're what I've always recommended, what most people own and are the basis for that avid following. As usual in audio, the devil's in the details. :-)
Melm,

The output of the copper, silver and gold coil ZYX's is identical. For the purpose of matching a phono stage's gain, the wire type is not a consideration. The output voltage rules.

Before proceeding, it's useful to understand that ZYX's output specs are not based on the industry-typical stylus velocity of 5.00 cm/second. ZYX measures cartridge output at 3.54cm/second. To compare with other cartridge brands or for matching cartridge output to phono stage gain, it's helpful to multiply ZYX's specified .24 or .48mv by 5.00/3.54, or 1.41. When you do this, you find that a ZYX actually outputs around .34mv (LO) or .68mv (HO).

Reviewers who don't know this often remark that the ZYX they're reviewing sounded louder than they expected for its rated output. This is because they ARE louder, for the reason noted above.

Thus informed, it should be easy to choose between a LO or HO ZYX. Look up the gain (or input sensitivity) of your phono stage. If it can handle a .34mv cartridge, choose the LO. If you don't need the higher output, there's no advantage to choosing a HO ZYX and sonically there's a major disadvantage, as the HO output models (like the HO version of any MC cartridge) are less dynamic.

Apologies to the OP for this digression, but hope it's helpful.