Lyra Delos Moving Coil Cartridge

An analog LP played back with an MC cartridge can sound exceptionally good. Normally, the more cost put into the cartridge, the better the sound. However, sometimes what is required is not more cost but more clever engineering, as with the Lyra Delos.

A major problem with most cartridges is that the signal coils are located so that applying normal tracking force restricts performance. The reason is that the cartridge’s signal coils should have the same angle as the magnetic circuit when the tracking force for playback is applied, but are nearly always designed so that applying normal tracking force pushes the signal coils out of alignment with the magnetic circuit. This impairs the sensitivity and linearity of the coils, and reduces the quality of sound.

The Delos solves this problem with a new body structure and pre-angled damping system. The pre-angled dampers work together with the angle of the body structure so that, when tracking force is applied, the signal coils are optimally aligned with the magnet circuit. The Delos also has a microridge stylus for outstanding tracking, a non-parallel solid metal body for low resonances, and nude construction for greater clarity. The result is clearly improved sound quality, particularly resolution, dynamic range, transient impact and immediacy.

Specifications

Designer: Jonathan Carr
Builder: Yoshinori Mishima (final build, testing), Akiko Ishiyama (primary build)
Type: Medium weight, medium compliance, low-impedance moving coil cartridge
Frequency range: 10 Hz – 50 kHz
Channel separation: 30 dB or better at 1kHz
Cantilever system: Solid boron rod with Namiki microridge line-contact stylus (2.5um x 75um) and one-point suspension, directly mounted to cartridge body
Coil: 6N high-purity copper, 8.2 ohms internal impedance, 9.5 uH inductance
Output voltage: 0.6 mV @ 5 cm/sec. (CBS test record)
Compliance: Approx. 12 x 10 cm/dyne at 100 Hz
Vertical tracking angle: 20 degrees
Cartridge body: One-piece machining from solid aluminum billet
Cartridge weight (without stylus cover): 7.3g
Recommended tracking force: 1.7 g – 1.8 g (1.75 g preferred)
Recommended load directly into MC phono input: 91ohm – 47 kohm
Recommended load via step-up transformer: 5 – 15 ohm
Recommended tonearm: High-quality pivoted or linear (tangential) tonearm with rigid bearing(s), adjustable anti-skating force, preferably VTA adjustment