Output, gain & loading
Output voltage and internal impedance help determine required phono gain and loading. MM designs may also specify capacitive loading. Low-output MC designs demand especially quiet gain.
Stereophile Class A
The Lyra Atlas Lambda Mono is a special, built-to-order, mono version of Atlas for real mono playback of monaural/monophonic (mono) microgroove, vinyl records. It is recommended that the Atlas Mono is used with high-gain, low noise phono stages, or alternatively a step-up transformer designed for phono cartridges of 2 - 3 ohms or less.
On mono records, the vertical axis of the groove contains no musical information, but it will frequently have noise, in the form of groove damage and dirt. The Atlas Mono has therefore been designed to be completely insensitive to the vertical axis, which greatly improves the signal/noise ratio without any downside on monaural records.
The coil former is a square permeable plate oriented parallel to the record surface rather than the 45-degree angle used for most stereo cartridges, while the coils are wound so that they only generate a signal when there is horizontal movement of the stylus and cantilever when tracking a record.
Specifications
Designer: Jonathan Carr
Builder: Yoshinori Mishima (final build, testing), Akiko Ishiyama (preliminary build)
Type: Medium weight, medium compliance, low-impedance, low-output moving coil cartridge
Stylus: Lyra-designed long-footprint variable-radius line-contact nude diamond (3um x 70um profile, block dimensions 0.08 x 0.12 x 0.5mm), slot-mounted
Cantilever system: Diamond-coated solid boron rod with short one-point wire suspension, directly mounted into cartridge body via high-pressure knife-edge system
Coils: Two individually isolated monophonic/monaural 6N high-purity copper coils wound in parallel (on top of each other) on a square-shaped chemically-purified high-purity iron former with 3.0 ohms self-impedance
Output voltage: 0.25mV@5cm/sec., 2.4μH inductance degrees (CBS test record, other test records may alter results)
Frequency range: 10Hz ~ 50kHz
Compliance: Approx. 12x10-6cm/dyne at 100Hz
Vertical tracking angle: 20 degrees
Cartridge body: One-piece machining from solid titanium billet, with reduced-surface higher-pressure headshell contact area, predominately non-parallel and asymmetrical shaping, phase-interference resonance-controlling mechanism, and body threaded directly for mounting screws
Cartridge mounting screws: 2.6 mm 0.45 pitch JIS standard
Distance from mounting holes to stylus tip: 9.5mm
Cartridge weight (without stylus cover): 11.6g
Recommended tracking force: 1.65 ~ 1.78g (1.72g recommended)
Recommended load directly into MC phono input: Determine by listening,
Recommended load via step-up transformer:
Use a step-up transformer designed for 2 - 3 ohms cartridge impedance. The transformer output must be connected to standard 47kohm MM-level RIAA input, preferably via short, low-capacitance cable
Recommended tonearms: High-quality pivoted or linear tangential tonearms with rigid bearing(s), adjustable anti-skating force, preferably VTA
Pearl Audio can help with cartridge matching, installation, and alignment.
Call (503) 222-2599 to start a conversation.
Product: Atlas Lambda Mono Cartridge
Stereophile Class A
The Lyra Atlas Lambda Mono is a special, built-to-order, mono version of Atlas for real mono playback of monaural/monophonic (mono) microgroove, vinyl records. It is recommended that the Atlas Mono is used with high-gain, low noise phono stages, or alternatively a step-up transformer designed for phono cartridges of 2 - 3 ohms or less.
On mono records, the vertical axis of the groove contains no musical information, but it will frequently have noise, in the form of groove damage and dirt. The Atlas Mono has therefore been designed to be completely insensitive to the vertical axis, which greatly improves the signal/noise ratio without any downside on monaural records.
The coil former is a square permeable plate oriented parallel to the record surface rather than the 45-degree angle used for most stereo cartridges, while the coils are wound so that they only generate a signal when there is horizontal movement of the stylus and cantilever when tracking a record.
Specifications
Designer: Jonathan Carr
Builder: Yoshinori Mishima (final build, testing), Akiko Ishiyama (preliminary build)
Type: Medium weight, medium compliance, low-impedance, low-output moving coil cartridge
Stylus: Lyra-designed long-footprint variable-radius line-contact nude diamond (3um x 70um profile, block dimensions 0.08 x 0.12 x 0.5mm), slot-mounted
Cantilever system: Diamond-coated solid boron rod with short one-point wire suspension, directly mounted into cartridge body via high-pressure knife-edge system
Coils: Two individually isolated monophonic/monaural 6N high-purity copper coils wound in parallel (on top of each other) on a square-shaped chemically-purified high-purity iron former with 3.0 ohms self-impedance
Output voltage: 0.25mV@5cm/sec., 2.4μH inductance degrees (CBS test record, other test records may alter results)
Frequency range: 10Hz ~ 50kHz
Compliance: Approx. 12x10-6cm/dyne at 100Hz
Vertical tracking angle: 20 degrees
Cartridge body: One-piece machining from solid titanium billet, with reduced-surface higher-pressure headshell contact area, predominately non-parallel and asymmetrical shaping, phase-interference resonance-controlling mechanism, and body threaded directly for mounting screws
Cartridge mounting screws: 2.6 mm 0.45 pitch JIS standard
Distance from mounting holes to stylus tip: 9.5mm
Cartridge weight (without stylus cover): 11.6g
Recommended tracking force: 1.65 ~ 1.78g (1.72g recommended)
Recommended load directly into MC phono input: Determine by listening,
Recommended load via step-up transformer:
Use a step-up transformer designed for 2 - 3 ohms cartridge impedance. The transformer output must be connected to standard 47kohm MM-level RIAA input, preferably via short, low-capacitance cable
Recommended tonearms: High-quality pivoted or linear tangential tonearms with rigid bearing(s), adjustable anti-skating force, preferably VTA
Pearl Audio’s Cartridge Method
The right cartridge is the one that works as a complete mechanical and electrical match with your tonearm and phono stage. Pearl Audio evaluates the generator, output, compliance, stylus profile, and setup requirements together—so the cartridge can perform as its designer intended.
Moving-magnet and moving-coil designs ask different things of phono-stage gain, noise performance, capacitance, and loading.
Cartridge mass and compliance work with the tonearm’s effective mass. A good match supports stable tracking and controlled resonance.
Stylus geometry and cantilever construction influence groove contact, setup sensitivity, tracking behavior, and long-term care.
Alignment, tracking force, azimuth, vertical geometry, anti-skate, and the maker’s replacement or rebuild path all matter after purchase.
Selection, setup & ownership
A specification is useful when it answers a system question. Use the product details above together with the guidance below, then let Pearl Audio confirm the final match for your turntable, tonearm, records, and phono stage.
Output voltage and internal impedance help determine required phono gain and loading. MM designs may also specify capacitive loading. Low-output MC designs demand especially quiet gain.
Cartridge weight and dynamic compliance should be considered with tonearm effective mass, headshell hardware, counterweight range, and mounting geometry.
Stylus profile, cantilever material, tracking ability, and recommended tracking force describe how the cartridge traces a record—and how carefully it must be aligned.
Overhang, offset angle, tracking force, azimuth, vertical geometry, and anti-skate should be established with suitable tools and checked as a connected system.
Stereo, true-mono microgroove, and historical record formats are different use cases. The cartridge and stylus must be selected for the records it will actually play.
Confirm stylus replacement, exchange, rebuild, and inspection options before purchase. Policies differ between replaceable-stylus and fixed-stylus designs.
Look for the manufacturer’s current values for:
Do not assume that the highest-priced model is automatically the best fit. Compare adjacent models for:
A true-mono cartridge can be valuable for mono microgroove records, while older coarse-groove records require a purpose-appropriate stylus and setup. Confirm the record format, groove type, stylus profile, and electrical configuration; “mono” alone is not enough information.
Pearl Audio can help determine whether a dedicated mono cartridge, a stereo cartridge, or a second arm/headshell is the most practical approach.
Service is part of cartridge value. Depending on the model, the maker may offer a user-replaceable stylus, dealer exchange, factory rebuild, or no field-serviceable stylus at all.
For a useful recommendation, tell us:
Use the manufacturer’s current instructions for mounting hardware, tracking force, alignment, cleaning, inspection, and service. Protect the cantilever during installation, keep the stylus clean with an approved method, and recheck setup after any change to the cartridge, headshell, arm height, or mat.
Pearl Audio can install and align compatible cartridges and verify the initial phono-stage settings.