Skala or Kleos?


I have a Lyra Skala that I have enjoyed immensely. But I believe the stylus is at least, somewhat worn. I probably have about 1000 hrs. on it. I am wondering if I should trade it in for a new Skala, or get the less expensive Kleos. Anyone heard both?
dbarger

Showing 1 response by jcarr

Hi Syntax:

>Every Audiophile will have his own kind of rating, what fits for one, doesn't for the next.

This is often true.

>I go for performance, to get the most information out of the groove,

So do I.

>Nice to listen to but hardly the right one when you want to know what the magic is about with Mercury Living Stereos.

Perhaps in your system. Not in mine. Nor in other high-quality systems that I have played the Kleos.

>It (Kleos) has a healthy output which is a good match for Phonostages with limited gain or channel separation.

Although the Kleos has a healthy output, it is bit less than the Delos, and benefits more from a higher-quality phono stage.

>Definitely more silent with noisy reissues than other Lyra cartridges. I think, it is based on the diamond they use for it.

The Kleos and Skala use the same stylus shape. The lower noise floor of the Kleos is primarily due to how the body is designed, and the different damping system.

>The Skala is better in overall Performance.

In my experiences, the Skala can be more impressive in certain areas such as transient attack and macro dynamics. OTOH, the Kleos has better timbre, and a wider dynamic range overall.

The Delos, Kleos and Skala can all work very well in many systems, but of the three, I would say that the Kleos is the most versatile. Some listeners may very well prefer the Delos or Skala, but IME this is due to system compatibility and personal preference - not quality.

>Today we live in an era, where every new products gets raves (... best sounding unit ever made, better than 3x so expensive ones which were the Standard .... endless work inside... and so on).

Cynicism may be occasionally justified, but not when pragmatic logic dictates otherwise. Sales of lower-priced products earn a company less than equivalent-volume sales of its higher-priced models. Why would the company promote a cheaper new product unless it honestly feels that the performance is as-good or superior to its higher-priced models?

But if your promotional efforts help sustain Skala sales at a higher volume than Kleos sales, I'm certainly not going to complain! (grin)

hth, jonathan carr