Well, I answered my own question to the best of my ability. While I was unable to hear the Modwright I did manage to run the Herron and the Whest PS.30 head to head and here is what I found--that there is really no contest here. The Herron is every bit as quiet and dynamic as the Whest but is so much more musically communicative and resolving as to be in an entirely different league. Instrumental textures are sublime. Tonality is spot on--really vibrant and real with good warmth and body. Imaging is really stable and proportional and the soundstaging has tremendous width and depth. Dynamics are super--very quick and agile--just like the real thing. The Herron may be the most striking addition to my system, which has undergone a complete renovation over the past 6 months. Again, I did not have the RDT version of the Whest on hand and I understand that it is superior to the standard 30 version so who knows what that comparison would yield. I also wish I could have tried the Modwright as well but it was not to be. The Herron, however, is a very special piece of equipment and I feel very fortunate to have one as part of my vinyl playback system.
Associated Gear:
VPI Scout/JMW9
Audiotechnica OC9MLII
Modwright LS 36.5
Modwright KWA 150
Esoteric X03SE
Daedalus DA-1.1 (With AP Crossovers)
Dynamic Design Lotus Series Speaker Cable
Empirical Design ED-422 IC's and PC's
