The low-output version of Lyra's flagship Atlas Lambda, built to order for systems with the gain and quiet to make the most of it.
The Atlas Lambda SL shares everything with the standard Atlas Lambda except its coils. The body is machined from one piece of solid titanium with asymmetrical, non-parallel surfaces that keep resonance from building up. Inside are a yokeless dual-magnet system, Lyra's pre-angled "New Angle" coil geometry, and the Lambda suspension and damper. A diamond-coated boron cantilever carries a variable-radius line-contact nude diamond. The SL coils use half the turns of the standard model, which lowers moving mass, internal impedance and output (0.25 mV against 0.56 mV).
In the right system, the payoff is finer inner detail, better low-level dynamics and a less mechanical sound. Dagogo's reviewer called it the best cartridge he had owned, with deep, well-balanced bass and a very large soundstage. Stereophile found the gains over the standard Atlas real but not dramatic. Reviewers warn that it only works with a very high-gain, very low-noise phono stage, a current-input stage, or a step-up transformer designed for 1–3 Ω cartridges. Without those, dynamics and energy suffer. If you are unsure, the standard Atlas Lambda is the safer choice, and we're happy to help you decide. It needs a rigid, high-quality tonearm with adjustable anti-skate, preferably with VTA adjustment.
| Type | Very low-output moving coil (MC), medium compliance |
| Output | 0.25 mV (5 cm/s, 45°) |
| Internal impedance | 1.52 Ω (1.9 µH) |
| Recommended load | Set by listening direct into MC input (about 104–887 Ω); via step-up transformer, use one designed for 1–3 Ω cartridges |
| Tracking force | 1.62–1.72 g |
| Compliance | Approx. 12 × 10⁻⁶ cm/dyne at 100 Hz |
| Weight | 11.6 g |
| Stylus | Lyra variable-radius line contact, nude diamond (3 × 70 µm), slot-mounted |
| Cantilever | Diamond-coated solid boron rod |
| Body | One-piece machined solid titanium, asymmetrical; threaded mounting holes (2.6 mm) |
| Also available | Atlas Lambda (standard output) and Atlas Lambda Mono |
Pearl Audio is an authorized Lyra dealer. Call or visit our Portland showroom to talk about matching a cartridge to your tonearm and phono stage.
