Lyra Etna SL for hicapped Superline

Jo- I have not done the demo but I suspect that a SC and Burndy connection for your SL would be the best place to allocate your $$ first if you are going to be entering the world of uber cartridges... those millivolts need to be treated with utmost care and respect

Your 252 will show the differences but a 552 will be the game changer .  Worth an audition . The increased resolution afforded by high end cartridges needs a top preamp imo.

ATB,

Mark

varyat posted:

Jo- I have not done the demo but I suspect that a SC and Burndy connection for your SL would be the best place to allocate your $$ first if you are going to be entering the world of uber cartridges... those millivolts need to be treated with utmost care and respect

Your 252 will show the differences but a 552 will be the game changer .  Worth an audition . The increased resolution afforded by high end cartridges needs a top preamp imo.

ATB,

Mark

 

Thanks  varyat for the input. Your probably right...and I`m looking for Supercap for the Superline...the 552 will have to wait a little, and that`s ok, because it will be the last pre I buy. Never the less I will need a new Cart as the next step. Actually I`m very satisfied with the Skala, and will wait to hear it with my serviced an DRed rig. 

I´ve also been told that another Tonearm would be necessary to work with Etna on my turntabel (and besides money I would be sad to let the Aro go). - So maybe sending the Skala to Lyra for a rebuilt would be the move for the time beeing. I don´t know how long it would take to rebuild it at Lyra...and being without Vinyl for longer is NOT so good.

My 252, 300, Supercap and Hicap are on service and upgrade by now...so I have some time to think this over.

With regards,

Jodl

Jodl- sounds like you are making a wise decision with the SC. The Superline is dramatically improved with this PS and the Burndy connection.

I am curious as to why you would have to abandon your ARO if you wanted to use the Etna? I would be interested in hearing what your source's opinion was regarding this combination...

ATB,

Mark

Mark, I`m not that firm with technical aspects but it`s something with the mass of the tonearm, and energy which has to be absorbed...to make the Etna work perfectly partnering with OL Enterprise (maybe custom built) should be best. What I can say from experience: Aro with Skala works a treat!

My deck will be looked over/serviced at my home in future - and with permission - I will post some thoughts regarding the cart/tonearm combination. This is about the situation on my deck which is a friction wheel drive...so I will see...many possibilities.

Regards,

Jodl

I'm not familiar with the OL arms.... I believe they are a REGA mount? That will require some fiddling with your present ARO based turntable I suppose. Perhaps shooting an email to a dealer that knows the ARO well and supplies LYRA  would give some valuable insight- Peter at Cymbiosis comes to mind

Anyway, I don't want to stick my nose in your business... the OL arm may work better on your deck. Good luck!

ATB,

Mark

I got the Kleos SL into the Superline-Supercap.    You should ask Lyra whether the EtnaSL will work with your turntable/tonearm setup.    They will be glad to hear from you and are candid and very responsive.   They will recommend precisely the cartridge you nee; if the Skala works, they will tell you what else works.  I was advised to upgrade my Moerch tonearm to a heavier model and passed in favor of the straight swap with the old Helikon I had.    The KleosSL sounds good and it will leave money in the budget for other upgrades like a Supercap.    The KleosSL is perfect for the stock Superline.   The cartridge is a wasting asset and I have always gone for the mild upgrade that will do the job.   The KleosSL sounds superior.   The EtnaSL sounds vastly superior for more than twice the money.  Lyra also rebuilt the Helikon for a friend.

How do you rate the hicap compared to AUX2 for powering the superline? I always prefered AUX2, even of a 282 over a hicap, the hicap gave more detail but AUX2 better swing. A supercap was a big improvement on either (though not via a snaic, which I tried while waiting for a Burndy) but it seems a shame to have to get another supercap when you already have one that will be available when a 552 replaces the 252. 

The Etna weight isn’t much more than the Skala and the compliance the same so it should work in an Aro if a Skala does, whether an Aro is good enough to do it justice is another matter. There are a few candidates other than an Origin Live if it isn’t.

Yeti42, I preferred the hicap over aux2 - I think it`s up to synergy - with my turntable/Arm/Cart combo the added detail was very wellcome without sacrificing to much of swing (as you described it). 

the 552 has to wait a little and trading in/selling a 252 WITH a Supercap serviced and DRed should be easy.

I thought the Etna could easily be swapped with a Skala for similar specifications, but  - as mentioned - my turntable-dealer (who designes and builds and refurbishes friction wheel drive-turntabels up to the high end spheres) would recommend another Arm than Aro with the Etna. But I´m happy that we will do demoing in my setup in the near future.

As a reply to Mark and Skip: My turntable will be looked over by the person who was involved with the restoration of my Garrard 401 - and there is professional connection to Lyra to sort several things out.

I was looking for some opinions, maybe from people already using an Etna SL (on an Aro) and maybe the sonic differences between the non-SL/SL version in an Naim-based System.

Regards,

Jodl

I had a regular Helikon as a holdover from an earlier system and now a KleosSL.   The SL has a single layer of winding and a lower gain.  The difference is subtle but important.   It mates perfectly with the Superline.   

The Z foil load plugs are also worth trying.  They are an uptick from the standard plugs that come in the box.  

 Slightly off topic but is anyone using a Kleos  SL with a Urika? I’m hoping to listen to that combination in an Aro shortly. 

Just a thought, but the Linn Krystal and more expensive Kandid are supposed to be a good match for the Aro. Are you using an LP12?

Do you have a dealer with a number of Aros fitted with different cartridges to dem? It’s a big advantage of the Aro!

Stu

Stu,

I used to have an LP 12/Aro/Akiva - but since years it´s a Loricraft restored Garrard 401 with Aro and Lyra Skala (which has to bi changed due to age)...