Cartridge and step up / riaa for TW Acustic Raven


Hi!

I hope you all are well :)

If everything gets together I will buy a TW Acustic Raven One with a Graham Phantom II in the new year. The next step is to buy a cartridge and phono amp.

My equipment consist of Wilson Sophias II, Burmester 032 integrated amp, Burmester 061 cd player, Nordost Tyr interconnects and speaker cables, Thor powerdistributor with Nordost Brahma powerlines. In addition to this I have a Revox B77 mk2 reel to reel player.

The Burmester sound is in many ways similar to McIntosh, but slightly more on the ying side. The sound is clear and open, with a wonderful mids. The treble is smooth and detailed. The bottom is dynamic and deep, but more running with the flow than with a slam. The bigger 911 mk3 amp is more detailed in the bottom. But the price level is different too.

So I have to combine a cartridge and phono amp to this. I play all kind of music, since I am both is a talent buyer for rock pop festivals and a consultant for the national arts council regarding music (all kinds). So I listen a lot to music through the week.

I like dynamic open detailed open sound, but I do not like it overly analytical if that means too much forward in its presentation.

I like the sound in my system at the moment. However, I have to do something with my listening room, but thats another story. Its an ongoing process as we know!

My budget at this point will be approx. USD 3,000 for the phono amp and USD 1,500 for the cartridge. Maybe step later on.

The dealer of TW Acustic has reccommended Koetsu and Air Tight.

Thanks for your help!

Cheeers, ToffenG

toffeng

Showing 5 responses by toffeng

Hi!

Thanks all :)

I like dynamic open detailed sound, but if its too lean it will be impossible to listen to in the long run. As many of the records I receive are of variable quality, its important the the equipment play as natural as possible. Ofcourse natural sound could be on the analytical side, but it can also be on the more musical side (whatever that mean). You have to exuse my english, I am a norwegian you know :)

I have seen through many years of audio, that many audiophile play the same albums all over again. And if you for instance bring with you a NIN or a John Martyn record, the reproduction fall apart instantly.

The cd player 001 from Burmester tended to lean toward the warmer side, but the newer combine ying and yang very good. The 001 is a legend, especially combined with 011 preamp. Then the combination will be more natural, but still friendly toward your ear with all kind of music. The newer 061 is more dynamic and a little leaner. And lower price too! The Burmester 032 amp is also a little more leaner than the 001 cd player since its a newer design. As Absolute Sound stated, its very hard to describe the sound of the latest versions of Burmester. Its like a wire with amplification.

Have anyone of testet Aesthetix or Naim phone amps?

Cheeers, Toffen
Hi!

Back on track here. What about stepping up to Air Tight PC-3, Transfiguration Phoenix Cart, Ortofon Windfield etc? Its a higher price, but may be worth the investment?

Cheeers, ToffenG
Hi!

And then we have the Christmas question; which is best of Graham II or Triplanar? Ofcourse its a metter of taste, but its impossible to test out beforehand here in Norway. Versality and open dynamic neutral sound is the clue.

Cheeers and thanks for your help!

Toffen, Lillesand, Norway
Hi!

Thanks! Have any of you listened to PS Audio GCPH Phono Preamplifier? It has received very good reviews and the price in Norway is not bad at all. And its versatile too.

Cheeers, ToffenG
Hi!

Yes, cartridges seems to be a hot topic. I know about two-three well respected shops in Norway and Denmark, and I will try to find out what they reccommend too.

Since the funds are a little low at the moment, I will concentrate on the Raven One and Graham Phantom. And from there try to borrow some phono stages. Maybe I start with a Air Tight PC-3. According to the dealer of TW this is a good all round pickup. When I get wealthy I can buy the Ortofon A90....

Do you have any reccommendations regarding tonearm interconnects? Nordost Tyr? I use that between my Amp and CD player and as speaker cables. Good alround neutral cable. Maybe not so very exiting though.

Cheers, ToffenG