LYRA - DORIAN MC PHONO CARTRIDGE

The Absolute Sound Phono Cartridge of the Year Winner - 2006!

The Lyra Dorian is the newest, entry-level cartridge in a line of the world’s finest phono cartridges. Very similar in design to the Argo, the Dorian is designed for lower priced systems which usually require a bit more output. Exceeding all expectations for a sub-$1000 MC cartridge, the Dorian is rich and musical without compromising the detail retrieval for which Lyra is renowned. Finally, the famous Lyra sound is within most any analog lover’s budget! Completely hand-built (like every other Lyra model), Mr. Mishima personally adjusts and checks every single Dorian before giving it the Lyra seal of approval.

Designed for easy set-up, the threaded Dorian is machined from a solid piece of aluminum for rigidity with the cantilever directly mounted to the body to reduce distortion. Lighter weight than other Lyra’s, at 6.4 grams, the Dorian mates better with a variety of tonearms and offers improved tracking. As always, the Dorian comes with Lyra’s exclusive stylus force gauge to ease with installation and protect the cantilever when not in use. The Dorian is a flat out bargain! Output: 0.6mV, Tracking Force: 1.8-2.0g.

'The Dorian's transparency, transient speed, rhythmic solidity, resolution of low-level detail, and taut, well-extended bottom end brought an overall balance and musical excitement that I've yet to hear from any cartridge competing at this price!'

- Michael Fremer, Stereophile, March 2005

Lyra Dorian Specs:
Designer: Jonathan Carr
Builder: Industrially manufactured to Lyra’s specifications
Type: Moving Coil, low-impedance, low-output, medium compliance
Frequency range: 10Hz - 50kHz
Channel separation: 30dB or better at 1kHz
Cantilever system: Lyra proprietary internal cantilever-to-body direct mounted cantilever assembly with solid boron rod, and natural diamond, Namiki MicroRidge line-contact stylus
Electromagnetic generator system: Lyra proprietary polepiece-less, dual samarium cobalt discs, balanced symmetrical field, magnetic system with iron core and 99.9999 (6N) copper coils
Internal impedance: 9.5 ohms
Output voltage: 0.6mV (5.0cm/sec., zero to peak, 45 degrees)
Cartridge weight (without stylus cover): 6.4g
Compliance: Approx. 12 x 10-6 cm/dyne at 100Hz
Recommended tracking force: 1.8 – 2.0g
Recommended load direct into non-inverting RIAA equalizer amplifier or head-amplifier: 100ohms - 47kohms (determine best impedance value by listening)
Recommended load via step-up transformer: 5 – 15 ohms
(step-up transfomer’s output must be connected to 47kohm MM-level RIAA input)