Carts that sound like a Koetsu

"OTOH, the 901 on a Schroeder Ref sings like a Koetsu, but without that rounding and gentling of transients that Koetsu lovers love."

That's quite a mouthful in a short statement. I don't like the rounding of transients. I've talked a lot about the leading edge of a curve. This just does not represent what I get with my Rosewood Signature. That is the calling card of the Rosewood.

" I find the the RSP's midrange "magic" intolerable. OTOH, if that's the kind of thing you like, you'd like it very much!"
Ouch! I suppose everyone has thier own preferences. I just have to disagree.
I'd be the first to admit the Koetsu is a better match for lean components. "Intolerable" that's a bit much.

Doug, have you ever considered that it could be that the Koetsu sound does not match your system and therefore you do not like it? IMO the B&W speakers tend to have a boxy coloration which enhances the mid-bass, the exact freqs which the Koetsu also has some emphasis. The ZYX would therefore provide a better balance in your system. OTOH, Greg ML panel speakers do not have the box and are fast, thus the Koetsu would give his system better balance. IMO its really a case of system matching and tastes.

Gregadd,

What can I say other than the old YMMV? We have heard rounded transients from multiple models in multiple systems. You haven't heard that. Music is mysterious. ;-)

It was wrong of me to ascribe that, or an enjoyment of it, to anyone else however. My apologies.

FWIW, "intolerable" was an accurate description of our reactions. I understand you may react differently.

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Cmk,

As already stated, we've heard this artifact from several models, on several arms, in several systems using several speakers. There is no reason to suspect it has anything to do with our system or our speakers. It may indeed have everything to do with our ears.

Doug

Dear Doug: If I can remember you don't try the KRSP ( I'm not sure, too, that was the KRSP but the KRS ) in your own system.

There are some sujects about the right set-up for a Koetsu RSP:

it is a low output cartridge: 0.2mv, this means that there are not a single tube Phonolinepreamp that can handle with out step-up transformer in a decent way ( no noise/distortions ), here we need SS or hybrid technology.
If I can remember you hear it through step-up transformers and with " equalizers ". This point is very critical because if the amplifiers are changing the frequency response level then you are not hearing the KRSP: you are hearing an " intolerable " sound that comes from the audio systems other than the KRSP.

now, the Koetsus are not very friendly to match well with tonearm, as a fact I put on sale ( only for two days and retire the ad. ) my KRSP because it don't meet my music sound reproduction priorities: MUSIC, I try in almost all my tonearms till I mounted in the GST-801 and I stop the sale. I found that with this tonearm I have the best match and obvious the best KRSP quality performance.
From here I " play " with load impedance because 47K is ( at least from my expierences ) a wrong one and I found that between 1-5K things were right on target.

Other subject is VTA/SRA: this cartridge is really sensitive to minute VTA/SRA changes and it likes a positive angle.

The KRSP is a great cartridge ( I preffer over the OSP ) it is a matter of patience and know how.

Today I use it through an active high gain Phonolinepreamp: Essential 3150.

Cmk: Till I hear the B&W 802D I had the same opinion about the bass performance in the B&W speakers, you have to hear it: great ones.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Raul,

I've heard the Urushi, the RSP and the Onyx Platinum, but not the RS.

When I had the RSP in my system I did use stepups, but Cello's two phono stages and my new one all use SS for the primary gain stage. The sonic character we've heard cannot be attributed to an SUT, nor to any particular phono stage.

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the Koetsus are not very friendly to match well with tonearm

I believe you. Many months ago you said you'd finally found one tonearm that works with your RSP, but I think this is the first time you've named it. Is the GST-801 a very high mass arm? I would expect that to work best.

BTW, a correspondent of Arthur Salvatore really likes his GST-801 + XV-1S. You should try your XV-1S on that arm if you haven't already done so.

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Raul or Cmk,
Do you remember what amp you heard driving B&W's that had boxy or impaired bass? I ask because we had that problem until we got our present amp, power cords and speaker cables. There are few amps in the world which compare with this one for driving these speakers, including the Classe amps B&W uses to voice them. In a direct A/B this amp sent a pair of Classe monoblocks home. It takes more than great speakers to make great speakers. ;-)

Doug

P.S. I'd love a set of 803D's with the simpler Xover, diamond tweeter and the new, lighter/stiffer woofer cones. Some day...