We have been enjoying our vinyl so much I am about ready to upgrade the cartridge from a vintage circa 2000 Lyra Helikon to a new Lyra Kleos SL. My Helikon is running, via Verdier, on a Moerch DP-6 Transcription 12" arm into a Superline-Supercap. Most people say 16 years is long enough out of a cartridge and the good people at Lyra believe a Kleos SL will be a straight swap with a minimum of fiddling required. Good thing since I don't have a dealer within 1000 miles. Even the stock 500 ohm plug for cartridge loading should work for starters.
My only discomfort is that the Kleos seems to be pretty late in its product life cycle; the most recent thread here is from 2013!
The Helikon sounds plenty good today. It has been well treated, the stylus well-maintained, and only used on VPI-clean records. The current setup keeps surface noise to a minimum.
Is there a definitive way to know it is time to get a new cartridge? Is there anything else in the Lyra or comparable line that you prefer to the Kleos SL? As long as we have had the Helikon, Lyra has become the "house sound" here, and I have little interest in trying anything more esoteric. I have read the threads here which say the SL is the way to go with Lyra into a Superline.
The Etna SL seems tempting for 2x the money but it might require a tonearm upgrade, which at this level is quite a bit more than the cost of the Kleos SL, so discretion is the better part of valor. We have other expenses which don't even involve vinyl.
Any other helpful hints will be greatly appreciated.
As always, I am guided by the words "What would Kuma do?'
Posted on: 26 May 2016 by kuma
Skip,
Good Lord! I wish my cartridge lasted 16 years! :0
I got a chance to compare a low hour Helikon SL and Kleos SL while back and major difference between those two were the latter offered much better dynamics and deeper insights into the music without losing a natural tone. So I'd say it's a nice upgrade plus if you like Lyra's house sound you can't go wrong there.
I am envious that you can make the cartridge last that long but you'll be surprised how tired a suspension could be compared directly to a fresh new cartridge.
I have not found anything equivalent to a Kleos SL in terms of performance in a similar price range. ( 3.5-4k ) Linn Kandid sits close to the Kleos SL in terms of pricing but its personality is very different from it. I do think that Kleos SL is a better all-arounder, however.
I am nearing the end of my cartridge life ( it's been going on almost 3 years now ) and start thinking about my next move. I still miss the magic of Miyabi/47 ( wonderful they are neither Kleos or Kandid has *it* )
I was almost gearing up for the Etna SL but its recent price hike put it in a 10K range which could open the gate to other cartridges in the same range such as stone bodied Koetsu or Fuuga ( awaiting for a home dem on this ). Plus Lyra's on going rebuild cost is higher than others. IIRC. It's kind of scary to make a 10k blind purchase especially on a cosumable item. :/
Posted on: 26 May 2016 by Peter Dinh
My Lyra Helikon SL also last that long, but mind you, there was a period of 5 1/2 years that I put it away in storage as I spent my time in Tokyo as an expat.
Posted on: 27 May 2016 by Hutch
I'm still enjoying a Lyra Helikon SL, but late last year upgraded my Cd to a CD555 and so vinyl replay has slipped behind a bit. I don't have a supercap yet on my Superline, what does that bring compared to upgrading the cartridge?
Thanks Hutch
Posted on: 28 May 2016 by kuma
I don't have a supercap yet on my Superline, what does that bring compared to upgrading the cartridge?
A friend prefers his Superline powered by HCDR over a Supercap.
I have both power supplies but haven't ABed them.
If you are powering via your preamp, I'd think that even a HC would be a good thing. Plus it also further improves 555CD's performance.
Posted on: 29 May 2016 by yeti42
I've recently supercapped my superline after powering it from 552 and won't be going back. Previously, when I had a 282 I tried powering it from a Hicap but it didn't engage that time. Stack order, left from bottom, empty shelf, superliner, 552, CDX2, TT. Right from bottom, 250, supercap, 552ps, 555ps, tuner, TiVo ( alas but there's nowhere else for it that ins' t worse). This works well but I'll have to reassess when NDS and 300 arrive.
Posted on: 29 May 2016 by Skip
Thanks for the comment Peter. (Did you mean Helikon SL or Kleos SL?)
My only constraint besides the entry fee is that I have a Moerch DP-6 with a 12" red dot 7-8g "medium" arm that I would like to retain. It is 16+ years old but still in the Moerch line after all. The only other choice of 12" arm is their 14g "heavy" Blue Dot version, which would be a good idea with the Etna or Atlas they say. (They have other weights in the shorter arms) The current Red Dot set up has been great with the Helikon. The other constraint is that the new arm wands come in black by special order only. There is a black Blue Dot in the US for $1200 that might be fun to play with.
It has been suggested that the heavier arms sound even better than the Red Dot, and I have no doubt. But this is vinyl and there are no dealers for miles in the US; you are welcome to try it but you have to buy it to do that around here. The US Moerch distributor is a ZYX distributor, too. Not a Lyra guy.
The Lyra people have plenty of options for you if you are unconstrained; I have been in touch with the top guys, Stig and Jonathan, and they have been very helpful and attentive. They make me proud to be a member of the family. They are more than willing to break the bank if you are. If you suggest a constraint, they suggest a conservative alternative. That is the Kleos SL. We know it works with what I have. I will check on the Skala or Skala SL. All the reviews read well.
My friends are already enjoying the ancient Helikon and it sounds good to us. I like the idea of trying the SL model of something else Lyra to dance better with the Superline. But I am in the music business, not the cartridge business. I don't have anybody to impress locally. I would be happy to squeeze another year or two out of the Helikon if I thought I could. Swapping cartridges is a PITA! I want to minimize the Audiophilia Nervosa of buying a cartridge and stay with our Lyra house sound. I just want it to sound great and last.
Will check on the Skala. Thanks again for the recommendation. If you can point me to a comparative review, that would be very helpful. Isn't the Skala older than the Kleos? Does anybody have a sense of where we are in the product life cycle of either the Kleos or the Skala or which does better in SL mode? I truly am open to either.
Posted on: 29 May 2016 by kuma
Skip.
Just get the Kleos SL and done with it.
Skala is now discontinued. ( plus it has that Lyra's older silverly edge that gave Lyra a bad name ) Newer line cartridges sound much more natural.
Kleos might not have the kind of dynamics or details of Skala but much easier going. Plus IIRC, Skala did not come in a lower voltage version.
