LYRA Instructions for proper installation and use of Lyra Clavis Evolve 99
Thank you for purchasing the Lyra Clavis Evolve 99 moving coil phono cartridge, made by Scan-Tech of Tokyo, Japan. The Clavis Evolve
99 is a delicate, precision instrument. Faithfully observe all the following instructions to extract its full performance and keep it in good
operating condition. Use separately available cartridge set-up tools like precision stylus force gauges, alignment templates that allow direct
visual alignment of the cantilever and stylus (not just the cartridge body), and follow the set-up instructions included with your tonearm, as well
as this manual.
The Clavis Evolve 99 is a medium-weight, medium-compliance cartridge, and was designed for use with high-quality tonearms that allow the
cartridge/tonearm low-frequency resonant point to fall between 8 - 12Hz. Avoid tonearms with loose or overly tight bearings, and avoid those
with undamped lift mechanisms, since these can "drop" the cartridge onto the record and shorten the lifespan of the suspension. The tonearm
output cables should be connected to a dedicated phono preamplifier or phono input on a preamplifier designed for direct use by a low-output
MC cartridge (0.4mV output voltage or less). The phono preamplifier should also have an RIAA curve that is accurate to at least +/- 0.1dB,
from 20Hz - 20kHz.
As much as possible, keep the Clavis Evolve 99's stylus cover on during cartridge installation. The threaded mounting screw holes of the
Clavis Evolve 99 are M2.6 (metric) size and should only be used with one of the three different sizes of stainless steel screws (and matching
hexagonal wrench) supplied. Don't use other screws unless they are confirmed usable by Scan-Tech or its distributor, as they can damage the
Parnassus D.C.t's screw threads. Also note that because of the Clavis Evolve 99's threaded screwholes, the tonearm headshell must have non-
threaded holes or slots (for the mounting screws) that are accessible from above the headshell.
Connect the white (+) and blue (-) as well as the red (+) and green (-) output pins on the rear of the Clavis Evolve 99 to the tonearm (or
headshell) lead-wires, matching each colored tonearm lead-wire to the correspondingly colored cartridge output pin. Clavis Evolve 99's
white-blue signal coil corresponds to the Left channel, and the red-green signal coil corresponds to the Right. If you are unsure where to
connect the tonearm headshell wires (because they lack color coding or use different coding than the Clavis Evolve 99), please contact your
tonearm distributor.
Remove the Clavis Evolve 99's stylus cover only after the cartridge has been preliminarily installed in the tonearm (or headshell). Grasp
both sides of the stylus cover with your thumb and index finger respectively and pull straight down (please hold the cover gently when pulling,
because holding it tightly will make it harder to remove) from the cartridge (a gentle rocking movement is acceptable) while watching the
cantilever assembly closely to avoid any contact between the cantilever and stylus cover, or between the cantilever and your fingers.
All adjustments involving the stylus and cantilever should be done with stylus cover removed. For the tracking force, use a separately
available gauge that can measure to better than 0.05gram precision. The tracking force range for the Clavis Evolve 99 is 1.6 - 1.75g, with the
lower figure recommended if it works well with your tonearm. The sound of the Clavis Evolve 99 will change substantially depending on how
well it is aligned. Fine adjustments to the overhang, offset angle, azimuth, vertical tracking angle (VTA), stylus-rake angle (SRA), anti-skating
and tracking force should be made through careful experimentation and listening. Note that it is common for the tracking force to change as the
height of the tonearm bearing changes, so do recheck the tracking force after making any VTA adjustments. Periodical "fluxbusting" with a
commercially available phono cartridge demagnetizer will also yield sonic benefits.
When adjusting anti-skating force, observe the stylus and cantilever directly (as seen from the front of the cartridge) at the instant the stylus
is lowered into a record groove with a fair amount of cutting modulation. Any pulling of the cantilever toward the left or right means the setting
is wrong. Readjust and observe again, and repeat until the antiskating force is right. As the antiskating depends on the tonearm geometry,
tracking force, groove modulation, linear velocity and other factors, it is better executed visually as described above, rather than relying on the
number-scales built into your tonearm or blank-groove test records.
If you followed the electrical connection instruction outlined above, plugging the tonearm output cables into your preamp's MC phono inputs
should connect the Clavis Evolve 99's white-blue signal coil to the Left channel of your phono preamp, and the red-green signal coil to the Right
channel.
As long as your phono preamplifier uses normal non-inverting circuitry and has no MC stepup transformer, the input impedance can be any
value from 10ohms to 47kohms. Normally the higher values result in a more open, spacious sound, and are therefore recommended. However,
please feel free to experiment. The Clavis Evolve 99 can also be connected to a phono preamplifier with a standard 47kohm MM-level input if
you add an intermediary step-up transformer (like the Lyra Arion) or head-amp (also called pre-preamplifier). These devices will typically
amplify the cartridge signal by 20 - 30dB without any RIAA equalization. In the case of a head-amp, experiment with the head-amp's input
impedance (as described above) if such adjustment facilities are provided. When using a step-up transformer, the input impedance of the
transformer must closely match the cartridge impedance (3.3ohms for the Clavis Evolve 99), and it must be designed for use with the input
impedance value of the phono stage that it will work into. A transformer is an impedance-matching device, and will only work properly if
terminated between the output and input impedances it was designed for, otherwise audible and measurable frequency aberrations can occur.
NEVER ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE PROTECTIVE DUST COVER FROM YOUR LYRA CARTRIDGE!!!
Every Lyra phono cartridge is equipped with a protective, permanently attached dust cover surrounding the delicate and sensitive moving
coil mechanism. This is made of a particular kind of Japanese "Washi" paper chosen for sonic reasons, but it is also a lot more sturdy and lasting
than it looks. This dust cover will get dirty during normal use. However, this is normal and nothing to be concerned about. If you remove the
dust cover because it looks dirty, this will expose the moving coil mechanism to dirt and dust, leading to deterioration of the performance, and
possibly to damage and malfunction. Any forceful removal of dirt and dust from the dust cover should be avoided as much as possible, and if
ever attempted must NOT involve any use of liquids, stiff brushes or solid objects.
