Cartridge and step up / riaa for TW Acustic Raven

Toffen,

I've heard a Koetsu Airtight combination, which sounded terrific, but, the cartridge was a very expensive Koetsu Onix Platinum cartridge, which is quite different in sound from most of the lower priced Koetsu cartridges (the Onix Platinum is faster, much more dynamic and leaner sounding). The lower end Koetsu cartridges tend toward the warmer (upper bass and lower midrange emphasis) side and can sound a bit sluggish and lifeless in the wrong system.

I am not familiar with the specific model of Burmester cd player you have, but, I've heard some of their models and really like the sound. It would help to know what kind of sound you are looking for in comparison with the sound you get from the Burmester. Are you looking for something more detailed and dynamic, something less analytical, etc.? My own take on the Burmester sound is that is on the warmer side, though the cheaper Koetsus would be much more on the warmer side.

Hi Toffeng,

I have heard the Aesthetix Io and an older version of the Rhea as well as various Naim phonostages. The Aesthetix Io, in its various iterations, are very nice sounding phonostages, though they can be a bit noisy, particularly if asked to work with very low output cartridges. The Rhea I heard (in a dealer's system I was very familiar with) was a quite different sounding unit. To me, in the particular system I heard it in, it sounded a touch brittle and more like solid state electronics than tube.

I've heard both the cheaper and the top of the line Naim phonostages in a friends system. I don't like the lower end phonostage because it has a somewhat "dry" sound (it is hard for me to describe the sound, it is more a personal response to certain solid state gear), and has an edginess to the attack of the note that makes everything sound a touch mechanical and artificial. But, the top of the line phonostage is an entirely different matter. It has far less of the kind of unpleasant qualities of some solid state, delivered all the harmonics of complex music correctly, and delivered the kind of dynamics and punch that Naim fans like while minimizing the "mechanical" qualities of the Naim sound. I heard it attached to one of the better Naim power supplies, so, in that configuration, it is quite an expensive phonostage.

Among the not so high priced cartridges, I have heard, and liked, the Transfiguration Phoenix and the Ortofon PW. Both are not as warm and rich sounding as the Koetsu cartridges, but, I suspect they will be a nice match for your system.

Toffeng,

No I have not heard the GCPH. I should add another comment about the Aesthetix Rhea. The dealer who had the unit in did not do any swapping of tubes, so I probably did not hear the Rhea at its best. I don't know of a single piece of tube gear that did not require some experimentation with tube choice to match a particular system and to otherwise be at its absolute best. It is impractical for a manufacturer to use anything but current production tubes (availability and ease of supplying replacements), and it does not make sense to supply expensive tubes when the particular system needs of each customer will vary significantly. This is the inherent nature of tube gear.

I am sorry if I gave too negative an opinion about the Rhea. I should know better after hearing so many tube stages that dramatically improved with a different set of tubes (e.g., the Tron phonostage, Hovland phono stage built into their linestage). My own phonostage (Viva Fono) sounds very different too, depending on tube selection.

Of the solid state stages I've heard that are not way up there in price, I would suggest looking into the Tom Evans stage. I only heard it briefly, but it sounded pretty good. I've heard the not too expensive top of the line Sutherland phonostage. It sounded reasonably smooth and musical, but, I thought it was a touch dynamically polite with a cartridge which is far from that (Lyra Titan).