“Wow factor”... for me that really limits it to Deccas and real cost-no-object MCs, the Koetsu, top-level Lyra, vdH or Ortofon stuff. None being things I’ve personally owned.
The most ‘esoteric’ or up-market I’ve ever run was a rather disappointing used Dynavector XX-1L (just boring), and a Lyra Lydian B, which I liked as it was very dynamic and engaging, but it seemed to wear faster than I’d expect from a cart of that price-class. Aside from that I’ve tended to live in the ‘good all-rounder’ area of the market with thing like Ortofon MC20FL, Audio Techinica OC9, AT33PTG, Denon DL-110 etc. Just good value carts that don’t disappoint, but don’t have the astonishing dynamic ability of Deccas or the huge natural soundstage of the very best MCs. I’ve a lot of time for the humble DL-103, but I can’t actually live with one due to the conical tip, same goes for the conical SPUs, which again I love in many areas.
A lot of my fondest memories are actually with the better MM carts of the 70s and early-80s before aggressive MC marketing from Linn, Haymarket and others basically killed or diminished the format. The Shure V15, Grace F9E, Fidelity Research FR-101, Ortofon M25FL, Glanz etc etc. Some really great cartridges that exist in a totally different mindset of low mass, high tracking/tracing ability etc. I really like this era of carts, though again I view them in the ‘good all-rounder’ rather than “wow!” class, as is my current Nagaoka MP-500, which really dates from this period (it’s little more than a re-badged 1970s MP-50). A cartridge I’m running because it tracks everything with astonishing ease and clarity and matches both my deck/arm and phono stage well (neither being as easy as one might think due to the cast-iron platter and a valve phono stage that doesn’t seem to like low capacitance MMs). The MP-500 just doesn’t do anything badly at all, so quite a ‘grown-up’s’ long-term cartridge rather than something that would knock anyone out on a short dealer dem. Not a “wow” cartridge, but certainly a very good one - I’m sufficiently happy with it that I have a sealed spare stylus awaiting, and that is something I very seldom do.
I know you loved the Titan i . My friend's one was put on my Ace Anna for a couple of days when he came to stay nearly 2 years ago and we were both impressed. Better than the Atlas though? I've no idea but am surprised as Lyra's models do usually improve going up the ladder. Are these cart's all on your TW Acustic 10.5 arm? I've never experienced a DV, and wonder what you think of the XV-1T vis a vis the other two.
