2. analog
  3. 130224-4724

Koetsu surprise

I have to hand it to my wife.  Like many of us, I have always plotted and schemed my own system upgrades based on my interests and perceived best bang for the buck.  I have been concentrating on the analog front end for the past 4 years and have been listening to a lot more music.  I had been enjoying a Lyra Delos for its detail and upper register energy, a SoundSmith Zephyr Star for its amazing instrumental separation and full frequency balance and an Ortofon MC A90, that I purchased used of Agon.  Thought I was done with cartridges for a long time.
So when on the eve of our 20th wedding anniversary I received a little square box from her, I had no clue that she would gift me something for the stereo.  But there in front of me is a pretty little Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum!  
Its hard to describe the disbelief.  I had never considered a Koetsu.  My impression of them was that they were rolled off, romantic, old school cartridges that had been bettered long ago by the likes of Ortofon, Lyra and SoundSmith.  Never really read up on their cartridges given that their cheapest models were about as much as I would ever consider spending.  
Fast forward one month and I have put about 40 hours on the RSP.  From the first needle drop I was very impressed with the midrange presence and the utter ease and extension into the very highest frequencies. The bass did sound a little soft in the first several hours but has tightened up considerably.  It sounded its best loaded with 100 Ohms and mounted on my Mørch DP-6 with heavy brass headshell screws from SoundSmith.  I currently have it on my Jelco 750D with a Jelco Rosewood headshell.  
I don't think any of these arms are the best match but the RSP does sound quite special on all of them.  Just purchased a 40 year old Fidelity Research FR-64S.  Can't wait to listen to the RSP on this arm.  Any recommendations on the FR-64S/RSP combo are welcome.

This whole experience has taught me an interesting lesson about assumptions in our little hobby.  You just have to listen before you judge.  This is a quantum leap in musical enjoyment that would never have happened if left to my own devices. Anyone else have this type of experience?  First time you heard something that changed your mind about what you thought you knew about audio?

I married up!

128x128karl_desch
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rauliruegas
13,106 posts
 
Dear @larryi : Till today there is no perfect tonearms. Always exist trade-offs.

I owned some linear tracking tonearms as : Denessen, Southern and ET. I hears many more as Foprsell, Kuzma, the one in Walker Procenium, the one in Rockport and the Transfi, all these not in my system.

I decided to use only pivot tonearm designs because ( even inside its trade-offs. ) makes something no LT design does it and this characteristic is a way better deep bass quality level performance. LT just can't give us the weigth and tigth deep bass as a pivoted ones and maybe can be because are " grounded " mechanically and not float in the air. I can't say why.

Maybe many audiophiles do not cares about deep bass quality levels but it's here where MUSIC starts in a home audio system and the frequency range more critic an important in a room/audio system quality levels. We have to remember here that that bass range gebnerates harmonics and distortions too that affects in sevre way the other frequency range quality levels.

If we have not a real/true full range response in the audio system we just can't enjoy MUSIC and the worst and harder frequency range to handle is precisely the bass range, it's what ( everything the same. ) determines the quality level performance on any room/audio system.

It's easy to check if in our full range system the bass range is rigth or not really rigth and to test this we only need a decent digital source playing same tracks than the analog rig and compare in between and you will know with out doubts..

In any tonearm/cartridge/TT, pivoted or not, ACCURACY in the whole set up is the real name of the game.

A good pivot tonearm design with accurate overall set up has nothing to " envy " to any of those LT designs I named.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC Not Distortions,
R.


mulveling's avatar
mulveling
1,975 posts
 
We all have opinions, but none of us value our own opinions as much as Raul values his. He's uniquely equipped to win any war of words via pure attrition.
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rauliruegas
13,106 posts
 
Dear @mulveling : """ We all have opinions...""" and agree with you on this regards.

Now, for some years now I posted several FACTS not opinions in at least 3 critical audio subjects: digital vs analog, tubes vs SS and damped vs non-damped metal tonearms.

Those facts where explained in very long posts not one time but more than twice and I don’t have the time to post it again.

Were very precise facts, incontrovertible ones even measurable ones. In all those years some gentlemans that disagree with me on the superior quality performance levels of digital/SS/damped tonearms over tubes/analog/non damped tonearms they never posted any single FACT that can prove the other FACTS were wrong.

They gave only opinions, subjective opinions that can’t makes sense against objective facts where common sense is mandatory and not opinions that at the end only means: " I like it ".

When I talk about facts on those audio subjects I never speak on what I like or what any one likes, it’s totally irrelevant against what should be through those facts.

No, I’m not posting ( in that regards/subjects. ) my opinion about because my opinion is totally irrelevant.

Same happens in other forums where I posted out of Agon.

But you or any other gentleman can post facts/objective where help all of us to understand why the rigth road ( as should be. ) are: tubes, analog and undamped metal tonearms when is the other way around: SS/DIGITAL/DAMPED TONEARMS.

Remember that my MAIN TARGET is to stay nearest to the recording not what I like it as you and several other audiophiles.
Now, those 3 important and critical audio subjects must be surrounded by a fine tunned each single link at the room/system chain.

Remember too that when our system quality level performance puts us nearest to the recording then in an incontrovertible way we always will loves that kind of sound, we don’t have to worry if " we like it or not " because always we like it if we are ( first than all. ) music lovers and we are not deaf.


Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.


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rauliruegas
13,106 posts
 
Don't forgot that to stay nearest to the recording we need the lowest ( everykind ) distortions levels at each link, so tubes and non damped metal tonearms are absolutely out of question against that target.

R.
13blm's avatar
13blm
63 posts
 
I think what many of us are saying is that ultimate neutrality or faithfulness to the recording isn't necessarily the goal. Even if perfect accuracy was achieved it would not automatically ensure listening pleasure, and we all perceive sounds differently anyway. Different brands and technologies exist to cater to personal subjective preferences, which can change day to day!  This is why so many analog enthusiasts run multiple carts. A little coolness here, some romanticism there. I like a system that in some ways caters to my whims and values, which change all the time. Appreciating neutrality is different than loving it. Any car can get us from point a to point b however we drive what we like. A formula one car more accurately follows the road than than your typical auto but few of us would find it pleasurable as a daily driver. In short, I think accuracy is fine but not an end in itself. 
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