Dra1, your complaint about "hardness" in the upper midrange can result from slightly overloading the Calypso's input stages.
The Rhea has a lot of gain, making it compatible with a wide variety of cartridges. Lowering gain slightly will not adversely effect the noise or dynamics and might be the solution to the tonal balance issue.
Another idea, and you may have already considered this, this pair resolves VTA adjustments more clearly than you may be accustomed to. It costs nothing to check again, could make the difference in whether you buy or return.
Good luck with this. Keep us posted on what you decide to do.
The Rhea has a lot of gain, making it compatible with a wide variety of cartridges. Lowering gain slightly will not adversely effect the noise or dynamics and might be the solution to the tonal balance issue.
Another idea, and you may have already considered this, this pair resolves VTA adjustments more clearly than you may be accustomed to. It costs nothing to check again, could make the difference in whether you buy or return.
Good luck with this. Keep us posted on what you decide to do.