ZYX Astro, Diamond and Omega Cartridges with Balancing Weight...

[GT]

ZYX have used the lapis lazuli balancing weight on several of their top cartridge models. Here is a quote from the manufacturers website:

A spherical object fixed to the front nose of the cartridge is a balancing weight to accord the sweet spot of the cartridge body and the gravity point of vibration system. Having checked up materials and repeated audio monitoring, a nonmetal Lapis lazuli ball having hardness 5.0, specific gravity 2.5, diameter 8mm, and weight about 1 gram is put in at the most appropriate position to form the best cartridge structure. The Lapis Lazuli ball has another important merit than centroid control. Due to its composition blended of a few kinds of sodalite having spherical shape, vibrating wave flown from the north pole of the ball is absorbed in the crystal architecture mingled inside, and vibrating wave running down the ball surface is finally cancelled at the south pole of the ball.

I have tried a couple of these models that use the Lapis Lazuli balancing weight, Ultimate Omega and Ultimate Astro and they sound excellent.

ZYX also make models that do not use this feature, namely the R50 Bloom 3, Ultimate 100, Ultimate Airy, Ultimate 4D and the Ultimate Dynamic

 

[Perart1]

ZYX have used the lapis lazuli balancing weight on several of their top cartridge models. Here is a quote from the manufacturers website:

A spherical object fixed to the front nose of the cartridge is a balancing weight to accord the sweet spot of the cartridge body and the gravity point of vibration system. Having checked up materials and repeated audio monitoring, a nonmetal Lapis lazuli ball having hardness 5.0, specific gravity 2.5, diameter 8mm, and weight about 1 gram is put in at the most appropriate position to form the best cartridge structure. The Lapis Lazuli ball has another important merit than centroid control. Due to its composition blended of a few kinds of sodalite having spherical shape, vibrating wave flown from the north pole of the ball is absorbed in the crystal architecture mingled inside, and vibrating wave running down the ball surface is finally cancelled at the south pole of the ball.

I have tried a couple of these models that use the Lapis Lazuli balancing weight, Ultimate Omega and Ultimate Astro and they sound excellent.

ZYX also make models that do not use this feature, namely the R50 Bloom 3, Ultimate 100, Ultimate Airy, Ultimate 4D and the Ultimate Dynamic

The use of a lap lazuli balancing ball is a bit nonsensical; what is it balancing? the claim that it channels energy(vibrations) is equally amusing. Lapis lazuli is a rock that comprises various minerals in various proportions so any quantity of rock will vary in terms of hardness (3 to 6)crystalline structure and composition as well as resonant frequency and SG. So no two balls will be the same!. There is no doubt the sticking the ball on the cartridge will affect the resonant frequency of the cartridge but how will be a mystery. Zyx seem to be adding to the myths that have grown up over the centuries about LL. I am surprised that they do not mention its healing properties!

 

[GT]

There are a couple of reviews of the Astro cartridge below, one is in Japanese:

Mono & Stereo

Analog Magazine (Japan) 5/5 star review
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