LYRA Etna λ Lambda SL

Japanese Lyra Connoisseur is a real cartridge specialist and yet I have not yet heard any of their designs in my own system. Until now. And guess what? It turned out to be the best and the most addictive cartridge I have auditioned so far. It killed my own Transfiguration Orpheus with ease and after I returned it, it forced me take a few days break before I could enjoy my turntable again without it.

Interestingly, although Lyra is based in Tokyo, the company is headed by Stig Bjorge from Norway, designs are developed by Jonathan Carr, who is an American engineer, and finally realized by Japanese master craftsman Yoshinori Mishima. Lambda is their latest upgrade of renowned Etna and Atlas cartridges. The website of Lyra is very informative so it is better to let them speak:

Etna λ Lambda SL employs a solid titanium core structure machined with non-parallel surfaces to inhibit internal reflections which is mated to an asymmetric, mirror-black anodized duralumin outer body. The core and body are augmented with bronze and stainless-steel resonance control rods, then pressure-fit together. Etna λ Lambda SL uses a yokeless dual magnet system, diamond-coated boron rod cantilever and Lyra-designed variable-radius line-contact stylus. Lyra remains the only cartridge manufacturer to mount the cantilever directly into the cartridge body to create a rigid, seamless connection between the cantilever assembly and tonearm headshell. Why? Linear transducers such as phono cartridges are inherently inefficient devices, on the order of 5-10%. In other words, of the vibrational energy that enters a cartridge from the LP groove, only 5-10% will be converted into electrical signal. The cartridge’s internal damping system will dissipate some of the remaining 90 to 95%, but much of the excess vibrational energy will reflect inside the cartridge, creating internal echoes and a general diminishing of fidelity. It is quite easy to hear this with many cartridges- play a highly modulated LP with the power amp turned off and bring your ear close to the cartridge. The “needle talk” that you hear is excess vibrational energy which is not being controlled properly. Etna λ Lambda SL’s direct-mounted cantilever helps conduct this excess vibrational energy into the headshell, where it is safely dissipated within the greater mass of the tonearm and turntable plinth.

Another design strength is Etna λ Lambda SL high-efficiency X-shaped signal coils. Compared to traditional square coil formers the X-shape allows each channel to operate with greater independence from one another, giving better tracking, tighter channel matching, improved separation, and lower crosstalk-induced distortion. Although there are and have been other X-coil cartridges, their benefits have been accompanied by poor efficiency (in converting mechanical work into electrical output), either requiring high internal impedance (the larger coils add considerable moving mass and increase noise) and/or having low output voltage (which stresses the phono stage). To overcome this weakness, Lyra has a very specific X-core shape and dimensions that exceeds efficiency of any previous X-core cartridge.

Lyra’s post-2008 (Delos, Kleos, Etna, Atlas) had tapered cantilever dampers to pre-load the cantilever downwards when it is in the rest position, so that the application of vertical tracking force (VTF) will bring the coil angle into alignment with the magnets when the cartridge is in the playing position. The new Etna λ Lambda continues to use this idea but uses new elastomer segments to improve stability and sonic performance.

The installation of the Etna λ Lambda did not differ from what I am used to and hexagonal leys are included in the packaging. I was ready to listen.