Our Collection
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Brand
- Abendrot
- Audeze
- Audioquest
- Audio Research
- AVM
- The Bespoke Audio Company
- Brinkmann Audio
- The Chord Company
- Constellation Audio
- Dan D'Agostino
- DCS
- Devialet
- Dynavector
- Exogal
- Focal
- Harbeth
- Jadis
- Klaudio
- Koetsu
- Krell
- Kronos
- Linn
- Lumin
- Lyra
- Magico
- Magnepan
- Martin Logan
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McIntosh
- C70 Valve Preamplifier
- MA252 Hybrid Integrated Amplifier
- MA5300 Integrated Amplifier
- MC2152 Valve Power Amplifier
- MC462 Stereo Power Amplifier
- MHA150 Headphone Amplifier
- MP100 Phono Preamplifier
- C2600 Valve Preamplifier
- MA9000 Integrated Amplifier
- MC1.2KW Monoblock
- MC452 Stereo Power Amplifier
- MCD550 CD Player
- Melco
- Metronome
- Michell Engineering
- Naim Audio
- Pathos
- REL Acoustics
- Shunyata Research
- Sonus Faber
- Soulution
- Stax
- Tangerine Audio
- Tellurium Q
- Transparent
- Unison Research
- Vertere
- Wilson Audio
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Ex-Demo / Pre-Owned
- Audio Research CD8 (Pre-owned)
- Audio Research CD9 DAC (Ex-demo)
- Audio Research LS28 Preamplifier (Ex-demo)
- Audio Research Reference 6 Preamplifier (Ex-demo)
- Audioquest Niagara 5000 Mains Conditioner (Ex-demo)
- Audioquest Niagara 7000 Mains Conditioner (Ex-demo)
- DCS Debussy DAC (Ex-demo)
- Focal Diablo Utopia w/ Stands (Ex-demo)
- Focal Grande Utopia EM Loudspeakers (Ex-Demo)
- Focal Sopra No3 Loudspeakers (Ex-demo)
- Krell Duo 300 Power Amplifier (Pre-owned)
- Krell Kid (Pre-owned)
- Krell S-1200 3D Sound Processor (Pre-Owned)
- Linn Akurate DS Streamer (Ex-demo)
- Martin Logan Classic ESL9 (Ex-demo)
- McIntosh MX122 AV Processor (Ex-demo)
- Metronome Le Player 2S CD Player (Ex-demo)
- Sonus Faber Olympica 2 (Ex-demo)
- Transparent Reference Speaker Cable 8ft (Ex-Demo)
- Unison Research Triode 25 (Ex-demo)
- Vertere Phono-1 Phono Stage (Pre-owned)
- Wilson Audio Sasha 2 (Ex-demo)
- Wilson Audio Sasha 2 Speakers (Pre-owned)
- Focal Sub Air (Ex-Demo)
- Linn Akurate 2200 Power Amplifier (Ex-Demo)
- Roksan Oxygene Integrated Amplifier
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Type
- Active Speakers
- AV Processor
- Mains Conditioning
- Record Cleaners
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Room Correction
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FM Tuner
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Cables
- Alpha EF Mains Cable
- Alpha NR Mains Cable
- Delta EF Mains Cable
- Delta NR Mains Cable
- Sigma NR Mains Cable
- Transparent Reference Speaker Cable 8ft (Ex-Demo)
- Venom HC Mains Cable
- Audioquest Cable Range
- ChordMusic Cable Range
- Tellurium Q Cable Range
- Sarsen speaker cable
- Balanced Reference
- C-stream Ethernet cable
- Balanced MusicLink Super
- Balanced MusicLink
- Crimson VEE 3 stereo RCA interconnect
- MusicWave
- MusicWave Super
- Optichord toslink to toslink digital optical interconnect
- Prodac VEE3 digital interconnect
- Reference Speaker Cable
- USB SilverPlus digital interconnect
- Headphone Amplifiers
- Master Clock
- Power Supplies
- All In One System
- Digital Music Player
- Headphones
- MC Cartridge
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MM Cartridge
- Phono Stage
- Media Server
- Tonearm
- Turntable
- Valves
-
Amplifiers
- 311 Stereo Power Amplifier
- 330 Integrated Amplifier
- 511 Stereo Power Amplifier
- 701 Mono Amplifier
- 711 Stereo Power Amplifier
- Expert 140 Pro
- Expert 210 Pro Dual
- Krell Duo 300 Power Amplifier (Pre-owned)
- MA252 Hybrid Integrated Amplifier
- MA5300 Integrated Amplifier
- MC2152 Valve Power Amplifier
- MC462 Stereo Power Amplifier
- Unison Research Triode 25 (Ex-demo)
- Duo 175
- GSi75 Integrated Amplifier
- Expert 1000 Pro Dual
- Linn Akurate 2200 Power Amplifier (Ex-Demo)
- MA9000 Integrated Amplifier
- MC452 Stereo Power Amplifier
- Momentum Integrated Amplifier
- NAP 500 POWER AMPLIFIER
- Original d'Atelier
- Roksan Oxygene Integrated Amplifier
- Simply Italy
- Statement
- Triode 25
- Foundation
- Akurate 4200
- Akurate 2200
- Centaur Stereo
- Momentum Stereo
- NAP 100
- NAP 200
- NAP 250
- NAP 300
- SUPERNAIT2
- Unico Primo
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Pre Amplifiers
- 325 Preamplifier
- 525 Preamplifier
- 725 Preamplifier
- Audio Research LS28 Preamplifier (Ex-demo)
- Audio Research Reference 6 Preamplifier (Ex-demo)
- C70 Valve Preamplifier
- LS28 PRE-AMPLIFIER
- C2600 Valve Preamplifier
- Illusion II
- NAC 552
- Preamplifier
- Reference 6 Pre-Amplifier
- Momentum Preamplifier
- NAC 202
- Nac 252
- Nac 282
- Reference 5 SE
- Virgo II
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CD Players
- Audio Research CD8 (Pre-owned)
- Audio Research CD9 DAC (Ex-demo)
- Metronome Le Player 2S CD Player (Ex-demo)
- Rossini CD / SACD Transport
- Le Player
- MCD550 CD Player
- Vivaldi CD/SACD Transport
- CD5si
- Metronome Calypso
- Metronome Calypso Reference
- Metronome CD8 Signature
- Metronome Kalista Ultimate SE
- Metronome T5 Signature
- Unico CD Primo
- DACs
-
Speakers
- .7
- 30.2 40th Anniversary Edition
- 40th Anniversary Super HL5+
- A3
- Classic ESL 9
- Expression ESL13A
- Focal Diablo Utopia w/ Stands (Ex-demo)
- Focal Grande Utopia EM Loudspeakers (Ex-Demo)
- Focal Sopra No3 Loudspeakers (Ex-demo)
- Kanta No 2
- Maestro Utopia III Evo
- Martin Logan Classic ESL9 (Ex-demo)
- P3 ESR 40th Anniversary Edition
- Scala Utopia III Evo
- Sonus Faber Olympica 2 (Ex-demo)
- TuneTot
- Wilson Audio Sasha 2 (Ex-demo)
- Wilson Audio Sasha 2 Speakers (Pre-owned)
- Amati Tradition
- Electromotion ESL-X
- Guarneri Tradition
- Harbeth Super HL5 Plus
- Il Cremonese
- M3
- Monitor 40.2
- Sabrina
- Sasha 2
- Serafino Tradition
- Sopra No.2
- Sopra No.3
- Yvette
- S3 MkII
- 1.7i
- 3.7i
- Grande Utopia EM
- Harbeth P3ESR
- Harbeth Compact 7ES-3
- Harbeth 30.1
- Electromotion FX2
- Electromotion ESL
- Alexandria XLF
- Alexia 2
- Aria 948
- Diablo Utopia
- Duette
- CLX Art
- Q7 Mk II
- S1 MkII
- S5 MkII
- Majik 109
- Majik 140
- Olympica I
- Olympica II
- Olympica III
- Aida
- Venere Center
- Venere 1.5
- Venere 2.5
- Stella Utopia EM
- Sub Utopia EM
- Venere 3.0
- Viva Utopia
- Mono Amplifiers
- Subwoofers
- Center Channel
Sharing its name with Sicily’s majestic Mount Etna, Etna the cartridge is an impressive monument in its own right, one that melds tried and true Lyra design tenets with designer Jonathan Carr’s very latest thinking on phono cartridges.
Etna was designed with a strong emphasis on engineering efficiency, so that its performance would be as far beyond the sum of its parts as possible. For this reason, although it shares some of its design philosophy with Atlas, the concepts are executed rather differently.
Etna employs a solid titanium core structure machined with non-parallel surfaces to inhibit internal reflections whenever possible, but unlike Atlas (and Titan i before it), this is mated to a slightly undersized, asymmetric, mirror-black anodized duralumin outer body that locks over the core like a very tightly-fitting jigsaw puzzle. The core and body are augmented with bronze and stainless steel resonance control rods, then pressure-fit together into a pre-stressed, solid, void-free structure which is comprised of multiple materials and complex internal shapes. The constrained-layer nature of this construction dramatically reduces the resonant signature of each material and creates a far more neutral-sounding body structure than otherwise possible, while the high body stiffness benefits transients, dynamics and resolution.
Etna 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 isn’t being controlled properly. Etna’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.
Etna utilizes the asymmetric design concept first seen in the flagship Atlas, but moves the screw/screwhole all the way to the front of the cartridge and interposes a bronze damping barrier between it and the mechanical path linking the cantilever assembly to the tonearm headshell. Freed of all obstructions and voids, the rigid, direct path established between cantilever and headshell is highly effective at draining away vibrations once they have been converted into electrical signals, effectively suppressing induced resonances and internal reflections that would otherwise manifest as sonic colorations. A narrowed mounting area couples Etna more tightly to the headshell and facilitates the transfer of vibrational energy into the tonearm, giving even better control over spurious resonances.
Another design strength is Etna’s high-efficiency X-shaped signal coils, another attribute it shares with the flagship Atlas. 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 conducted a careful investigation of X-core coils, using a combination of mathematical analysis and hands-on experimentation. The outcome of the analysis program was a very specific X-core shape and dimensions that not only had higher efficiency than any previous X-core cartridge, but also surpassed the efficiency of Lyra’s earlier square-coil cartridge designs.
Rather than using all of the extra efficiency to single-mindedly increase the output voltage, Lyra chose to allocate part of the extra efficiency to increase the output voltage (12% higher than Titan i), and use the remainder to reduce the amount of wire in the coils (22% less than Titan i). The decreased mass further improves tracking performance, while the higher output and lower internal impedance allow phono stages to perform better.
Lyra’s New Angle technology mechanically pre-biases the signal coils so they are perfectly aligned to the front and rear magnets during LP playback, which allows the coils to move optimally in all directions for superior, distortion-free playback.
With the introduction of Etna, the Titan i model is discontinued and now limited to stock on hand. The Lyra line is now comprised of Delos, Kleos, Skala, Etna and Atlas.
While Etna is second from the top in Lyra’s line, one listen will demonstrate that this cartridge’s performance would define the very top of any other cartridge line. Atlas has a very refined, elegant and voluptuous sound while Etna’s personality is more outgoing. We truly believe that choosing between these two exceptional performers will come down to one’s tastes and the system in which it will live. For many customers Etna will be ideal and become their preferred Lyra.