Not mine.
I think I may end up selling my Naim Superline/SCDR/ZPlug/Hiline/Powerline and replace it with the Boulder, if I can figure out the finances for it.
At first I thought the SL/SCDR and Boulder aren’t too far apart, but after spending a week with the Boulder I’m afraid it actually smokes the Naim. And that’s just with the default 100Ω load (I think less load might be even better) and an IC cable that isn’t worthy of what I’m using with the SL.
It will be weird to have a single big silver box among all the black Naim/Fraim, but so be it.
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I agree. Worth trying products from these reputed companies.
However, as you said, not all products are going to work with our systems.
So many variables.
DG….
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Yes it’s always good to explore other makes , reputable makes… I had done it (against many who had told me it doesn’t goes well w my kits, before even trying out themselves - base on hearsay 
) and I benefited from it… yes I love exotic cables , and I believed and heard it myself , it does bring my systems to another level , day and night level , and I love it… and gonna continue this to get to the reference series . 
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I bought the EAR/Yoshino phono box deluxe. And it sounds very very nice!
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Which EAR model is that? Are you saying it competes with a Superline/SupercapDR?
No.
The Ear 88 pb is more at the level of Superline / Hicap dr, but with more refinement. ( the same as in my Ear 912).
But it has one MC and one MM. Not for you then.
Isn’t it also tubes (a non-starter for me)? I saw one EAR that also didn’t have enough gain for very low output MCs (I think I read something like 54db for MC input).
Yes, all tubes with Ear transformers. Don’t think it will drive easily something like Lyra SL.
An Ypsilon phono with its outboard step up transformer, yes. All tubes, Michael Fremer has one. As the Soulution solid state. Both cost more than 30k.
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I think that may be the EAR 324 which is actually solid state. The spec is a bit confusing, the active circuit has a gain of 54 dB, but switching to MC then adds in a pair of transformers with 19.5 dB gain.
I think that Tim de Paravicini argued that he could implement valves or transistor and actually did so, the M100a monoblocks and the 834T mosfet integrated. The 324 is as far as I know the only one in current production.
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I see @frenchrooster and @catswhiskers. Thank you for the explanations about the EAR boxes. I was just curious. And yes, tubes won’t work for the Atlas SL. I have been warned about that by someone who knows (and uses the regular Atlas with an Audio Research REF3SE phono).
I’ve pretty much decided on getting the Boulder 1108. It ticks all the boxes for me (except it isn’t black) and sounds fantastic. It might be a little while though, until I have saved enough to pay for it.
I bought this for my sister and thought I’d give it a whirl before sending it to her.
Sumiko Pearl MM. Very much a budget cartridge. Not hugely well regarded in reviews. But a nearly 40 year old classic with some fans that have kept it in production.
It sounds really nice after running in a few hours. I’m doing some soul searching. I might prefer it to some far more expensive carts I have. It’s so lovely and musical.
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@feeling_zen i have to agree with you. I went through a phase of rolling MM cartridges on a second LP 12 when I was buying a lot of second hand LPs. It made sense not to use an expensive MC, but I still wanted to enjoy replay before deciding to put it on the main deck.
One of my two favourites was the Sumiko Pearl, very nice presentation probably only lacking in detail retrieval. My other go to MM is a Goldring e3.
Hope your sister enjoys it at well👍
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I’m tempted to give my sister the Rainier and keep the Pearl.
Pretty sure on my low end office deck, when the stylus on the Ranier is up for replacement, I’ll just get a Pearl instead. Some magic definitely happened today. That cart on that deck and that amp was greater than the sum of the parts.
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Look at Pass Labs XP27. 2 imputs. Made in US. Great reviews. Alternative to the Boulder.
Interesting, I hadn’t tried the newer Sumiko cartridges, I was tempted maybe in the future. Sometimes things just gell, good old synergy between arm/cartridge/deck!
You are right. Synergy is everything. The Sumiko Moonstone on a SL-1200GR into a StageLine has magic.
But the TEAC TN-4D shipped with an Oyster which never really seemed right. I passed over the Pearl due to some negative reviews and went for the Rainier (back when it was new and not yet reviewed) and while it was a decent upgrade and I was happy it wasn’t until I tried the lesser Pearl in the TEAC deck Luxman amp combo that I really heard the same magic “more than the sum of it’s parts” moment like I had with the Moonstone on the other system.
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Been using the Apple TV box for a while now.
Very impressed with it. Added our subscriptions to ITVX and Amazon Prime to it.
The remote control is a doddle to use, much easier than the TV remote control, plus it’s much, much faster to operate.
All in all, very pleased with the purchase.
DG…
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