Soundsmith VPI Zephyr Save 50%... brand new
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Ships from | Norwalk, Connecticut , 06851 |
Ships to | United States and Canada |
Package dimensions | 6.0" × 5.0" × 2.0" (2.0 lbs.) |
Shipping carriers | USPS, UPS or FedEx |
Shipping cost | Free |
Original accessories | Box |
Average | Research Pricing |
We have only one left..
Original VPI Zephyr not MIMC or Zephyr III
serial number can be seen on the pictures..
*** check our other cartridge listings ***
shipping free within USA.. or alternatively you can pick the cartridge from our showroom in Los Angeles at 1648 Westwood Boulevard..
paypal and credit cards please add 3%
call (424) 344-0011
"The Zephyr is handmade for VPI in the USA by SoundSmith, loosely based on Bang & Olufsen moving-iron cartridges of old. This particular model equates to the second-most-expensive of the high-output range. Most unusually, SoundSmith's low-output cartridges are also moving-iron designs.
The Zephyr is vivid, fast and lucid. A very modern-sounding pickup, it has a very wide, deep and beautifully separated presentation akin to the Ortofon 2M Black's, but with more warmth and tonal color, more sense of rhythmic flow and way more soul, especially when it comes to vocals. It doesn’t retrieve the same amount of information as the Ortofon, but then none of the cartridges in this test does. What it does do is get right to the heart of the music. On "Ghost Train" this was the only cartridge that really captured the immediacy and tension, reproducing that edgy, raw vocal without destroying the track’s atmosphere and realism. Just like the Ortofon, it sorted through the London Grammar recording, capturing the inner layers and powerful bass, even if the 2M Black managed a little more air and detail up top. In contrast, Tracy Chapman’s voice sounded a little thin and lacking in that characteristic throaty warmth, even though she was well placed in a wide soundstage with quick, accurate dynamics and bass. John Martyn was suitably gruff and Aerial Boundaries was spectacular, treading just the right line between space and impact.
The best all-'rounder here, the Zephyr is also the most expensive and had the advantage of being used with its own 'arm -- although truth be told, it was just as impressive in the Wilson Benesch ACT 2. Quick and clean, it also manages to sound warm, possibly as a result of its rounded, slightly muted top end. Even so this is a remarkably well-balanced cartridge and although it is quite a bit more expensive than the others here, it is also a serious deal compared to the more expensive competition, moving-coil or not."
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