My Koetsu Black Goldline was awesome top to bottom and right out of the box. It improved of course, everything does, but it never ever sounded light, not in the bass, not anywhere else. If there was even any inkling of that from reviews believe me, never woulda gone near it. Last thing I can stand, lean hifi presentation. Guys are ga ga for it. Not me.
Got it a year ago, added 4 subs several months later, so can't say for sure it had the same subterranean bass then as now, but no way would I call it light then or now. Certainly not now! That thing goes low! I'm sure it went just as low right out of the box, just didn't have the subs to hear the last few hertz.
It went low with the ARC PH3SE and it goes low now with the Herron. Its on my Miller Carbon table and Origin Live Conqueror so that don't hurt. It has performed so flawlessly and consistently with different gear I find it hard to believe its the Koetsu. Even with whack alignment. Which I doubt- alignment cannot be off, or you would not be hearing greater clarity than the old Lyra. Clarity is the first thing to go when you are off. All your associated gear is hifi, the Koetsu is your one really good sounding component. Well okay, the Mac. Possibly. Main point, of all the equipment you listed including the Lyra the only one definitely NOT guilty of being light in the bass is the Koetsu. The Mac, probably, is fine. All the rest, lean.
So what I'm reading, you added a bona fide high end and pretty much irreproachable $2500 cartridge and iffy entry level $150 outlet at the same time, and for some reason decided to blame the cartridge.
I would send it back if you can. Gear that sounds that bad out of the box ain't gonna magically transform a week or month or year from now. Don't take my word for it though. Get one from Synergistic Research, find out for yourself. Right outta the box. You will see.
