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Turntables & Tonearms Where Analog still Rules

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Old 05-26-2014, 12:02 PM
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ehoove ehoove is offline
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Default ZYX Omega LOMC - A Review

At an audio gathering last Sunday at my house an AK member graciously left his ZYX Omega X type (cryod crystal copper) low output. 0.24 mV. with the SB2 silver base. Low Output Moving Coil cartridge with me to audition for a week or so.

At the gathering we auditioned it mounted in the Magnapan Unitrac1 arm on my Thorens TD125 with very nice results superior to my Dynavector DV20xM and slightly better to my ears than my Sumiko Blackbird.

Yesterday, I mounted it to the Jelco 750d on my modified Thorens TD150AB. To say this cartridge needs the control of a higher mass arm is an understatement! In this arm is has more richness, body, control, attack, sustain, utter lack of surface noise, and the soundstage is deep and controlled on the Magnapans with wonderful imaging. The following are observations from a few albums:

Suger Loaf Express - Lee Ritenour
JVC Direct Disk VIDC-2

This album has a lot of delicate percussion on it, and the presentation via this cartridge was utterly amazing the delicate cymbal work was attention getting, with such attack and sustain while still maintaining delicacy. The sound stage was wide and very deep with solid placement. I have listened to this album many times, and heard things I had never heard before. A wonderful cartridge for Jazz fusion!
Next Up:

Die Rohr - The Tube
Tacet L74 Total tube driven from mic's to mixing board to cutter! 180G pressing

Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra

Bocccherini
La Musica Notturna delle strade di Madrid

The plucked strings in this piece are amazing in detail and controlled sustain, with wonderful interplay of attacking and sustaining. Rich, Dynamic, once again great staging, and imaging. The combination of robustness, and delicacy are above any cartridge I have been exposed to!

Biber
Battalia a 10

This is an amazing piece of work with the double bass handling the marching drum work in the background. This Drum play is more realistic than on any table, cartridge I have listened to this LP.

If you like Chamber Orchestra music this is a must have LP!

Next up:
The Cleveland Symphonic Winds
Frederick Fennell Conducting
Telarc Digital Soundstream No 5038

Gustav Holst
First Suite in E Flat Op. 28 no.1
Second Suite in F, Op. 28 No.2

Dynamic range this cartridge delivers without ever losing control during the huge percussion sections, never letting them override the passages. Impressive to say the least. Once again a very precise sound stage with a lot of depth. I'm guessing it to be around 15 rows back in Severance Hall, Cleveland, Ohio

George Handel
The Music for the Royal Fireworks
OMG Just Awsome! My cartridges tend to get lost with everything kind of losing definition during the explosive sections of this work. Absolute definition throughout with delicacy, accuracy, and absolutely magnificent in it's presentation. An absolute joy to listen to!

Next up:

Jazz Funk
Richard Tee
Natural Ingredients
Tappenzee RecordsJC 36380

Back Door Man
This track has it all, with bass vocals, back up female vocal chorus, Ralph Mcdonald on percussion, Dr. Steve Gadd on drums and guitar work by Eric Gale. Richard Tees synthesizer work is driving and solid. Sound stage once again solid and precise and the imaging is better than I ever heard it. I also picked up some under the breath lyrics I never heard before.
Spinning Song
Wonderful Acoustic Piano breaks into a driving ragtime then fades to a amazing acoustic piano finish with amazing sustain.

Next up:

Roy Buchanan
That's what I'm here For
Polydor PD6020

Roy's screaming Telecaster comes thru like it should with all the subtle nuances he is capable of producing while he is firmly planted in a once again deep defined soundstage that produces a realistic live sound. while still allowing the soft vocals at the end of the piece to come across as right on stage just behind the speakers where he has been stationed from the start.

Last listen of the session:

Ron Carter
Etudes
Bottoms Up

I find the second cut on this album intensely intriguing due to Ron's Bass work accompanied by the splendid ethereal play of Bill Evans, Art Farmer,and Tony Williams. Free Form Jazz at it's Finest, and presented by this cartridge flawlessly. The stand up bass and cymbal work are phenomenal sounding, and well above anything my current stable can reproduce.

I will try to listen some more later this afternoon.

Summary:
An amazing cartridge in the right tonearm. While a great cartridge in the Magnapan Unitrac1 arm, this is an absolute beast in the Jelco 750D. It excels in all areas, and can present different genres with ease. My vinyl thought process just altered course, now realizing how much more information is available on the LP's I have listened to for years. I must also say I am very impressed with my modified Thorens TD150 Table for allowing the arm/cartridge combination to perform as it has since yesterday. If you think a 5K cartridge is absurd, so did I until it was mounted in a heavier arm. The difference is astonishing, and I will pursue an upgrade in my Vinyl rigs I'm sure!

Note:
I was driving my ARC LS16MkII preamp with a Musical Surroundings Phonomena II preamp powered by a MS Phonomena Battery Pack the Omega was loaded at 100ohms, and the gain was 58.8db.

More to follow!
Regards,
Jim
Attached Images
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File Type: jpg DSCN5284.jpg (99.1 KB, 54 views)
File Type: jpg DSCN5281.jpg (82.9 KB, 54 views)
File Type: jpg DSCN5282.jpg (85.7 KB, 55 views)
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Last edited by ehoove; 05-27-2014 at 06:20 AM.
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  #2  
Old 05-26-2014, 08:41 PM
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Jim...thx for the great review Zyx has quite a following among vinyl enthusiasts and their offerings I believe start at just under the $1K mark. If the Omega LOMC is way outside of your price range, I am sure you can find a Zyx offering that can work for you in your budget and that can still give you a good dose of what you heard with the Omega. Good luck!
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Old 05-27-2014, 06:24 AM
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There are several offerings that might be fine for the money, but the leason learned is what is possible in output from vinyl. My collection is diverse and in excellent condition, so it makes a lot of sense for me to explore the best possible equipment in playback quality I can afford without guilt. :^)

Regards,
Jim
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Old 05-27-2014, 08:27 AM
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I'm listening to the Omega X on the Magnapan arm as I type, and my observations are valid, the richness and presence are diminished, as is the attack and sustain. The sound stage is diminished as well losing depth and definition. I'm sure the Omega should play well with the owners new SME 309 arm it was procured for!

Regards,
Jim
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Old 05-27-2014, 01:06 PM
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The one I had some time ago ....


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Old 05-27-2014, 08:14 PM
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Is there a known reason for the blue ball on the front of the cartridge or is it a style thing? We are planning a get together when the cool weather returns to do some comparisons with Steve's XYZ and a few other MCs. Looking forward to some great sounds. Wonder if Steve will have his new TT running by then. His SME 309 should be a great match to the XYZ.
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Last edited by Formerly YB-2; 05-27-2014 at 08:16 PM.
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Old 05-28-2014, 11:24 PM
Markd51 Markd51 is offline
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Not XYZ, it's ZYX! LOL
Pronounced "Zicks".

Ehoove also posted this review over on akarma. And yep, us little band of ZYX brothers there chimed in. Fantastic Cartridges IMO. Greatness though sometimes come at a "price to play". But heck, you only live once, right?

One day, I'd really like hearing the UNiverse II. Perhaps one day I'll make it to SORASound in Chi Town, and Mehran there will put one through its paces for me.
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Old 05-30-2014, 09:29 PM
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I had a ZYX airy 3bs for a good while, wish I still had it. zYX is very good.

Sent from my iPad using A.Aficionado
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Old 06-03-2014, 12:21 AM
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I'll be putting this Ω on a heavier arm this time around. I needed some hardware to use this other arm and it has arrived. The use of the Magnepan made it easy for me to listen to it and carry it to Jim's for others to hear since we both have Magnepan arms. A nice arm but needs higher compliance cartridges than this one.

I should have the 309 set up later this week or early next week. Looking forward to that session. We might even have the ZYX Yatra to compare to the Omega in a future session.
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Old 06-03-2014, 12:30 AM
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Syntax, this is the cartridge in the picture on the cartridge forum, so to answer your question, it is an X. It appears there is less blue in the cartridge body on this one than the one you pictured.

Interesting that Jim used the exact same album for taking the pictures.
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