I wondered about why the new line of Shelters is seldom mentioned as well.. Marketing?
I have a 5000 and like it a lot. But my opinion is given within the constraints of what I have owned since I haven't actually owned any of the "big boys". I have heard the top of the line cartridges frequently enough, but never in my system.
Things that stand out with the 5000 are much better than average dynamics, very nicely controlled bass, very good balance between a full bodied sound and analytic detail. Timbre is quite good so that distinguishing similar sounding instruments in an orchestral context is by no means a chore. Sometimes the woodwind section is not as easy to pick apart as I would like, but that could easily be due to other components in my chain.
Other cartridges that I have used - Koetsu Rosewood, Benz M2, Tranfiguration Spirit, Blue Oasis, Sigma Genesis 2000, various Denon models, ...
I will be trying a Delos soon. That may be a good arbiter of how the 5000 stacks up.
Arms that I have used range from a dynamically damped JVC ql-y7 built in arm, to a Triplanar VI. My phono preamp is an Audio Innovations P2 which has been tricked out a bit, together with a with a Denon au-340 SUT. Obviously not the finest stuff, but still pretty good in performance terms.
I have a 5000 and like it a lot. But my opinion is given within the constraints of what I have owned since I haven't actually owned any of the "big boys". I have heard the top of the line cartridges frequently enough, but never in my system.
Things that stand out with the 5000 are much better than average dynamics, very nicely controlled bass, very good balance between a full bodied sound and analytic detail. Timbre is quite good so that distinguishing similar sounding instruments in an orchestral context is by no means a chore. Sometimes the woodwind section is not as easy to pick apart as I would like, but that could easily be due to other components in my chain.
Other cartridges that I have used - Koetsu Rosewood, Benz M2, Tranfiguration Spirit, Blue Oasis, Sigma Genesis 2000, various Denon models, ...
I will be trying a Delos soon. That may be a good arbiter of how the 5000 stacks up.
Arms that I have used range from a dynamically damped JVC ql-y7 built in arm, to a Triplanar VI. My phono preamp is an Audio Innovations P2 which has been tricked out a bit, together with a with a Denon au-340 SUT. Obviously not the finest stuff, but still pretty good in performance terms.