JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added SONA 2010

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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby JackD201 » Fri Oct 10, 2008 9:07 pm

Zyx added scroll down to bottom of post number one to view. Enjoy :)
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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby audiostar » Fri Oct 10, 2008 9:27 pm

JackD201 wrote:ZYX Airy S 3 -review added Oct. 10, 2008

. The phantom image solidity. As it turns out channel separation is /was the design target from the ZYX people from the get go. No wonder. The snares on the GRP were so realistic I could almost feel the skin and the wires rattling. ...


Thanks Jack for confirming what I heard from this beauty. Hindi pala ako nag-iisa. In my sysem, ZYX Airy delivered on almost all musical genre that I tested it with ;) With FR FX 64 as its arm, Luxman PD 444 table and Sutherland Ph3D providing the amplicification, I couldn't ask for more :)
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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby odaey » Sat Oct 11, 2008 9:30 am

Great Review!!!

I've been lucky enough to have heard a few good cartridges and I believe Channel separation is one area where the Zyx line really stands out. It took me quite some time to digest this character I've been hearing on numerous zyx set-ups and good thing Jack confirmed it. Of course this is much appreciated if your tonearm is up to the task and the Phamtom is a dream combination.

It's been said that zyx favors fairly stable arms with fixed bearings but nice to hear the universality of the cart. Recently, I've also heard a Zyx with a Kuzma 4 point (which is in a way, a unipivot ) and it sounds perfect in every way. It woud be a dream review if you could compare these two arms which push the limits of tonearm design.
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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby JackD201 » Sun Oct 12, 2008 1:17 am

I've got my eye on my idol's Universe. I hope he can bear to part with it! :devil:

Me? Yes Odaey. I'm one very happy camper. With so many outstanding carts on the market, it's easy to find carts that are different. What's becoming increasingly difficult is finding carts that I like well enough to earn semi-permanent places in the rotation. I say semi-permanent because in the line-up I literally live with whatever is installed until someone asks to hear one of the others or a particular mood beckons. That's how versatile and satisfying each one is.

The Lair's big system was put together with the singular objective of letting the music and not the gear take center stage although its intimidating looks might suggest otherwise. It can in my opinion play anything well albeit full orchestra with it's micro and macro shadings is the system's forte. I'm just happy that the Lair's new addition, the Airy, allows gives me yet another vista.

:)
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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby randybarba » Sun Oct 12, 2008 8:16 am

Thanks for the review of the homer simpson cart, Jack. :D :D Nice read as usual. May you have many more carts to come so we can read more reviews to enjoy. :)
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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby pican » Sun Oct 12, 2008 4:34 pm

odaey wrote:Great Review!!!

I've been lucky enough to have heard a few good cartridges and I believe Channel separation is one area where the Zyx line really stands out. It took me quite some time to digest this character I've been hearing on numerous zyx set-ups and good thing Jack confirmed it. Of course this is much appreciated if your tonearm is up to the task and the Phamtom is a dream combination.

It's been said that zyx favors fairly stable arms with fixed bearings but nice to hear the universality of the cart. Recently, I've also heard a Zyx with a Kuzma 4 point (which is in a way, a unipivot ) and it sounds perfect in every way. It woud be a dream review if you could compare these two arms which push the limits of tonearm design.


Hi odaey,

Perhaps, you can share with us your experience with the Airy and the ZYX 4D. To my knowledge, you are only one of two
who is using both the AIry and the 4D.

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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby zenaudio » Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:55 pm

Great review, Jack!

I only heard the Airy at Acoustic Dimension's demo room and I was quite impressed by its refinement.
I think you gave an additional perspective of this cart's "character" specially when you compared it to the Jade and the XV1s.
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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby ttommy » Tue Oct 14, 2008 5:39 am

JackD201 wrote:I've got my eye on my idol's Universe. I hope he can bear to part with it! :devil:

Wala pang pang replace :lol:
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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby odaey » Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:42 pm

Jack,

It's been said that Zyx carts, especially the higher end models is not a set and forget cartridge. They say you must be willing to fine tune on a daily basis, tweak every parameter and play it regularly to maintain it's responsiveness. The Graham Phantom seems to thrive on these requirements of full adjustability and is said to have the best manufacturer supplied alignment jig. However, Phantom owner's now claim that the MintLp custom made protractors goes one step higher in terms of precision over that of the phantom's own. Consdering that you frequently swap wands and considering the class of carts that you use, did you ever consider getting custom made protractors made by MintLp?


Boss Pic,

Must you remember that among your students, I was the only one who didn't make the grade :sweat: . As much as I would like to but I just can't seem to put into words the auditory experience the way jack does. I've long given up being in analyze mode and I let my instincts decide just like what you taught me but I'll still try to put up an Initial Impression one of these days.
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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby JackD201 » Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:01 pm

Hi Odaey,

It's the first I've heard of the MIntLP actually. I'm no master when it comes to tt setup but I'm at a point where I'm no longer afraid to twiddle. When I had my clearaudio I made it a point to mount my own carts using the clearaudio protractor. When I can't seem to get things just right I call on MT aka Master Tweaker to do things for me. I'll look into the MintLP as you suggested :) Thanks!

Jack
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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby odaey » Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:55 pm

Setting up carts isn't my cup of tea either (just like changing a flat tire). I wish I could bribe Stereophile do this for me on a daily basis but my geographic location dictates otherwise. For those who don't want to dive deep into understanding cart alignment, the MintLp provides the easiest way to get the most precise set-up.

It actually was able to squeeze the last ounce of performance from my rig. Just when I thought that I had it nailed the mintLp was able to show me that I was a bit off. It's actually an arc protractor that is custom made for a specific Turntable/spindle size/tonearm/cartridge combination.

Some reading you may want to go through:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl ... up&67&4#67
http://www.galibierdesign.com/phpbb/vie ... p?f=6&t=75
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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby JackD201 » Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:44 am

I'll be changing tables soon so I'll be sure to send 'em a Ping once I've successfully transplanted my arm(s) ;)
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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby pican » Thu Oct 16, 2008 7:28 pm

JackD201 wrote:I'll be changing tables soon so I'll be sure to send 'em a Ping once I've successfully transplanted my arm(s) ;)


Hmmmm, a TW! Yummy, Cong., yummy!

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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby JackD201 » Thu Oct 16, 2008 8:41 pm

Dream come true for a classical junkie like me Pic :)
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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby JackD201 » Thu Oct 16, 2008 8:43 pm

audiostar wrote:
JackD201 wrote:ZYX Airy S 3 -review added Oct. 10, 2008

. The phantom image solidity. As it turns out channel separation is /was the design target from the ZYX people from the get go. No wonder. The snares on the GRP were so realistic I could almost feel the skin and the wires rattling. ...


Thanks Jack for confirming what I heard from this beauty. Hindi pala ako nag-iisa. In my sysem, ZYX Airy delivered on almost all musical genre that I tested it with ;) With FR FX 64 as its arm, Luxman PD 444 table and Sutherland Ph3D providing the amplicification, I couldn't ask for more :)


Universe Pare! :devil: As usual tugma nanaman tayo partner!
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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby asoka » Tue Feb 24, 2009 8:35 am

Hey, Jack!

Everything is said how good a writer you are. No question about that! You just missed one thing though: You failed to make your beautiful write-up a learning experience for everybody. Yes for EVERYBODY, except your circle of friends, or (WS) members who are in-the-know because you belong together in the same market segment. And some might have even stopped and fell short reading your article because they became gradually, or suddenly weary.

You need to imbed pictures, Jack. No one cares reading long, textual epics nowadays. Everybody has gone visual. Insert pictures of your carts, Jack. And don't just focus on them. Expand your blocking so you may also show your aspirational set up of expensive equipments, in the setting of your fashionable home interiors (inclusion of your beautiful wife on the background would not be a bad idea). With this, you will be making your thread an ultimate learning experience for everybody!

Hit the ULTIMATE road, Jack.


I feel somebody is watching me - Michael Jackson
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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby JackD201 » Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:40 pm

Hi asoka,

Thanks for the very, very constructive ideas. I'm not a WS original, in fact I joined rather late but have since made many many friends here. The immortal tag is often mistaken as something serious but actually it is a joke that was pulled on me by Francis our esteemed Administrator :D I have to dig that thread up! I don't remember exactly how I went from Master to Masterrific to 555 then to immortal. I do remember getting gas from all the laughing.

This whole cart thing all started innocently enough with just one cart but after having gotten my system pretty much where I aspired to get it at which is a level of neutrality and dynamics I was satisfied with, I went on to cart rolling. I'll eventually add pictures of my carts in action I promise. It may take a long time though because my carts stay on sometimes months at a time. For a more complete picture of my current audio state of affair sans the carts you can go here:

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=18811

I don't know if it is of much educational value but it is my true story. Some changes have been made since the last time I updated the thread so thanks for reminding me to update! :D I'm also at least three reviews behind. In about a year's time the whole kaboodle will be moved to a new home I'll be sure to chronicle the move as faithfully as I can. Thanks for everything!

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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby asoka » Tue Feb 24, 2009 4:14 pm

Hey Jack!

From the way it seems, you are practically very intelligent and more importantly consciencious.
You are a cut above them-- way, way up above them. You should run for President.

Meanwhile, we still need to see pictures. Pictures, Jack. Many will love to see these intertwined in your post.
Excitement still high. Modify, Jack.



I feel somebody is watching me - Michael Jackson
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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby JackD201 » Tue Feb 24, 2009 5:11 pm

Will do akosa, will do :)
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Re: JackD201's Carts - ZYX Airy Review added 10/10/08

Postby Jon Agner » Tue Feb 24, 2009 5:23 pm

So Jack...... .when will the next Cart review come out :)
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