Manley Chinook to Aesthetix Rhea Signature?
super nice system I would be inlined to isolate your existing tube phono with HRS base or similar products ( symposium, etc ), do some tube rolling, get into a silver AQ cable from arm to phono stage ( if it has a DIN ), iF the Manley has a non torrid transformer, find a VPI Magic brick for it. Finally a Hana Umami . fun |
@tomic601 likewise my friend. That custom faceplate on the Herron looks damn good! Hana Umami is in the cards, but I enjoy bourbon too much to purchase one at the moment. I'd definitely like to put my Hana up against at Keseki Blue soon though. So since the Aesthetix Rhea is pure tube without FET's you'd suggest tweaks over the upgrade? Also, the HRS platform are really THAT good? |
There is a Rhea Signature available here for $4500. https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649721327-aesthetix-rhea-signature-phono-preamplifier-wnos-telef... |
I can't speak to the Aesthetix phono stage, but I upgraded from a Chinook to a Herron VTPH-2A and it was significant. The Chinook is very good, but the Herron has more body, drive and detail and does imaging and soundstage better. I still have the Chinook and am listening to it now in my second system and it's more than satisfactory. There's nothing disappointing about the Chinook, but it can be bettered. I have rolled tubes in the Chinook, but didn't notice much difference. It's been a while, I don't remember which ones. I'm still using the stock tubes in the Herron. It sounds so good with those that I haven't felt a need to futz with them (yet). I have the Hana SL and the Kiseki Blue NS. The Kiseki is a lot more fun to listen to. I have heard the ML, but not in my system so I can't make a fair comparison to how the Blue compares to the ML. I really liked the ML on my friend's turntable. |
