Lyra Helikon SL-Worth upgrade?

The Helikon is a great step forward from the Clavis. Except during the first break-in period, it is much more full bodied and has decidedly more PRAT, here being closer to the Insider than any other cartridge I am familiar with.

Why don't you look at the Arkiv B? The Helikon and the Arkiv share the same designer, and the Arkiv is purpose built for your analog system.

Put my in your book and have had a Clavis DC for over four years now and the silly thing will not wear out. It is in a Rockport Capella table and maybe it is the vacuum hold down or whatever that has kept it together all these years, but never got more than eight months out of a VdH.....Have two friends who have Helikons, but not the SL version and one of them replaced the Clavis DC with the Helikon and thought it was a nice improvement. The other friend had a Clearaudio Accurate and found the Helikon more to his liking.....They both run Rockport tables.

Rcump, had the same experience as you with the Grasshoppers.

Hey Detlof! I used the MC ONEs and had to have two or three of them as the rebuilds were not nearly as good as the originals and glad I tried the Clavis DC, which had no dynamics for about 4-500 hours, but came to life then and now just won't wear out.....I see Jonathan Carr and Stig Bjorn at the CES every year and they laugh about my four+ year old cartridge and shake their heads as this is some sort of record they allow......Sure don't like the way the cantilever sticks out of the new Helikon as sure as the world I'll break it off, but will probably just get one of the new SLs at the CES this next year......