I think he was looking for some honest feedback about any of the products he mentioned or that fit the sound signature he outlined in his post. @winoguy17 why do you go out of your way to stoke division?
WhestTHREE signature phono pre vs. ModWright PH 9.0X
I've mostly got my phono preamp upgrade down to a shortlist shootout choice between the WhestTHREE and the ModWright PH 9.0X. They're pretty much at the same price point (the MW is ~$300 more than the whest, give or take).
What I listen to mostly: Jazz & Jazz Fusion primarily (I do have things from many other genres, but want to tune my system to Jazz since that's 95% of my listening on vinyl).
What I like: wide soundstage, incredible mid-range, detail, some warmth
What I don't like: clinical!
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There are a lot of passionate Whest owners out there all over forums raving about them, but I've also seen people mention that they can be a little on the clinical side.
The modwright has less hands-on info out there that I could find, but the few things I could find review it very highly.
If owners of either could comment on their experience and some objective pros / cons of either, it would be helpful!
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I did have someone recommend the Gold note PH10 to me some time ago, and while it is at a lower price point, I've seen a lot of mixed reviews.
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I demo’d a Whest THREE about 7-8 years ago. It sounded fantastic. It was dynamic, quiet and very open. My issue at the time was owning a Lyra Delos. The two combined to just have too much high frequency energy. So I sent it back. Later realizing it was the Delos that threw off my system balance. So I sold that cart. Now I regret ever sending thee Whest back. But I do love my Pass Labs Xp-17 as well. Would be curious how those two compare. |
@lalitk Exactly! One of the wonderful things about a forum like this is that another audiophile may recommend a product that is entirely appropriate but not on the OP's radar. That's how we learn! When I was researching phono stages a few months ago, I had never even heard of the brand Aesthetix until it was brought to my attention in a forum. I do agree that posts can often have unrelated tangents but all of the replies above are well within the original topic and specific to the OP's request for feedback. |
I initially got to know Modwright from an upgrade to my Pioneer LX500 CD transport. So I knew what Dan was capable of. I went from an SPL Phonos to the Modwright PH9.0XT. I am so impressed with the dynamics, soundstage and tonal clarity of this unit. The SPL was very good but I was missing that airy midrange. The PH9.0XT is my endgame. Superb build quality, built like a tank. I am switching between the Hana Umami and AT-ART-9XA (.2mV) running into an Octave V70 Class A to Spatial M3 Sapphires. The Octave is known for its outstanding midrange and the Modwright delivers everything that is on the LP in a luscious detailed way. What I notice most other than the unbelievable soundstage and instrument separation is the tonal quality of each instrument, Beautifully Presented.Tube rolling is encouraged. I'm running Siemens and Telefunkens and a Sophia Blue in the PS with stellar results. I highly recommend the PH9.0XT and you might want to reach out to Dan and Kristin with any questions or issues you might have. |
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