The low-output version of Lyra's Etna Lambda, built to order for very high-gain, low-noise systems, where it can surpass the standard model.
The Etna Lambda SL shares its body, magnet system, cantilever, stylus and Lambda suspension with the standard Etna Lambda. That means a titanium core clamped inside an aluminum outer body, Lyra's pre-angled "New Angle" coil geometry, and a diamond-coated boron cantilever with a variable-radius line-contact nude diamond. The difference is in the coils. The SL uses single-layer coils, which lower moving mass and drop internal impedance to 1.52 Ω and output to 0.25 mV, less than half the standard model's.
The Audio Beat found that with a high-gain, very low-noise phono stage, the SL can match the standard Etna's presence and dynamics, and add finer detail, articulation and low-level nuance. With lower-gain stages it sounds lighter and thinner. Stereophile's Michael Fremer reviewed the earlier Etna SL alongside the Atlas SL and judged the Etna SL the stronger of the two: airier, richer and more expansive. Current-input phono stages, or a step-up transformer designed for 1–3 Ω cartridges, suit it best. A transformer chosen for the standard Etna is unlikely to suit it. If you are not sure your system can take advantage of it, the standard Etna Lambda is usually the better choice. It needs a rigid, high-quality tonearm 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; 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 | 9.2 g |
| Stylus | Lyra variable-radius line contact, nude diamond (3 × 70 µm), slot-mounted |
| Cantilever | Diamond-coated solid boron rod |
| Body | Titanium core with aluminum outer body, self-clamping construction |
| Also available | Etna Lambda (standard output) and Etna 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.
