1. Home
  2. analog
  3. 195979-209066

Cartridge Upgrade Advice:

Hi all — I’d love some guidance from this community on choosing my next cartridge upgrade.  I am looking for a “reference” cartridge that can “take it up a notch”.  Thinking $5k max range,

My current system:

  • Turntable: VPI Classic Signature HW with 12” tonearm
  • Phono stage: Manley Chinook (tube)
  • Preamplifier: McIntosh C2800 (tube)
  • Amps: McIntosh MC611 mono blocks (600 wpc)
  • Speakers: Revel Salon 2
  • Current cartridges: Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC ES, Denon 103 (beater), Miyajima Zero (mono)

Upgrade candidates I’m considering:

  • Kiseki Purple Heart
  • Soundsmith Sussurro Mk II
  • Lyra Kleos
  • Ortofon Cadenza Bronze
  • Hana Umami Red

Priorities: I listen to a lot of jazz vocals and large-scale orchestral, with some classic rock. I want resolution and refinement but without harshness, grain, or fatiguing sibilance. Musicality is just as important to me as detail retrieval.

👉 I’ve set up a short poll to keep things organized. Please vote and add your reasoning/experience: [insert link here]

Thank you in advance — your experience will help me (and likely others) make a more informed choice.

Q1. Which cartridge would you recommend for my setup?

  • Kiseki Purple Heart
  • Soundsmith Sussurro Mk II
  • Lyra Kleos
  • Ortofon Cadenza Bronze
  • Hana Umami Red
  • Other (please specify)

 

Q2. Why did you choose this one?

 

Q3. What speakers/amp/TT do you run, and what kind of music do you mostly listen to?

ulcerdoc
drmuso's avatar
drmuso
253 posts
 

 @ulcerdoc   I don’t have experience with any but one of those cartridges and no direct experience with your gear, but I can tell you my Lyra Kleos in my system meets your criteria.  It demands painstaking setup, but once dialed in, there’s less sibilant distortion than any other cartridge I’ve used over the last 50 years, and it’s very musical.

I have upgraded Apogee Duetta II full-ribbon speakers powered by vintage Classé Audio electronics with a SOTA Star Sapphire TT, and Eminent Technology ET2 tonearm.  I listen to roughly equal parts classical, classic rock and ambient/electronic space music and also various kinds of jazz.  I’ve made numerous comparisons of the Kleos with high-res streaming and CDs, and I think it’s fairly neutral with a touch more warmth in the lower midrange than my digital sources.  

ulcerdoc OP
68 posts
 

Dear all

Thanks for the feedback!  It was very helpful.  Because of the moving sale, I spoke to Peter Ledermann directly.  I decided to go with the Hyperion MkII MR.  It’s above my limit (only but 50%) but after talking to Peter and with the sale price I couldn’t pass it up.

I’ll let you know how it sounds in due course.

tablejockey
4,405 posts
 

"I decided to go with the Hyperion MkII MR.  It’s above my limit (only but 50%) but after talking to Peter and with the sale price I couldn’t pass it up."

Nice choice. 

At the risk of sounding like a broken record- yet again🤣 (mentioned this one a few times)I heard the Hyperion demoed by Peter. It was on a VPI HRX playing thru some small SS bookshelf speakers and SS phono amp.

He played a cut from my own copy of David Gilmour's debut album-Theres No Way Out of Here." 

1st time ever being blown away hearing small generic bookshelf speakers. It was the Hyperion showing off despite being seriously "compromised' not playing thru some giant floorstanders. 

It helped that my copy was a period "stamper-1st press"(another topic of discussion)

Even Peter was impressed-he wanted a copy to play instead of his usual collection of demo LP's!

Enjoy it. As long SS can keep those cactus spines in stock, you have a forever cartridge 👍

 

ulcerdoc OP
68 posts
 

Thanks.  You and Peter convinced me!  I’ll report back after I get it set up and running.  I know it will need some breaking in.

dogberry
965 posts
 

Very little break-in, in my experience. Look forward to hearing your views.

More to discover