tkr, nkonor, invictus005
Thank you. Yes, a Koetsu is certainly an idea. I have never tried one.
After I got the Aesthetix Io back from repair a year ago, with new JJ tubes selected by Aesthetix, the noise level was much lower. I also like the Steelhead, a friend has one, dead quiet like you say. But I love the Io’s rich sound and am willing to live with some tube noise.
Not so much cash, no...back in the old days Lyras were not so extremely expensive. I started used, and traded in. With the current price level, however, I am not sure I can follow up. My friend has an Etna, which sounds very good, and says he likes it better than a wood-body Koetsu. I wonder if a Koetsu might be too smooth-sounding in my already quite tubey system.
Luckily my Titan i is still playing. The diamond on my Atlas said farewell the other day (a very sad day). There was an offer for AT ART-9 but it was gone before I called them, and anyway, I am not sure if it would be anything more than an "extra", for me. I have compared with the Ortofon Cadenza Black in my system. A very good, neutral cart, but a bit polite, output a bit low. The Lyras - the Titan, and even more, the Atlas - were better, in my system. Bigger, bolder, better able to tackle dynamic music. But if I had not heard the best Lyras I might be happy with a Cadenza. Maybe the whole idea of having "the best" cartridge has become - unhealthy.