Carts that sound like a Koetsu

Doug/Raul
I heard the B&W802 nautilus driven by Pass Labs monoblocks. IMO no doubt they are clean sounding, but it cannot completely remove the box sound, typically a slight hump in the 80-120hz range. I must emphasize it was marginal, and shows up as a blurring of the sonic image.

I am already used to hearing my music from a point source and with speed/dynamics through the Cabasse Baltics. Panel speakers will also give this sort of box free sound.

Anyway, coming back to the main topic, I'm currently fiddling with the Conductor arm and the AT33PTG cart(which leans to the detailed/analytical side). What I get is very clean sound, huge soundstage and every bit of detail on the LP, including bad mixes and errors of the pressing. I maybe insane, on some recordings, the images just sound like cardboard cut outs, but on some good recordings, its produces amazing full bodied sound. In times like this, I sometimes would prefer a more forgiving cart like the Denon 103R or a Koetsu.

I'll play a bit more with the AT cart and give it a bit more time before switching over to the Denon and see how things work out.

Dear Doug: From a few months to now my XV-1 is in one of my GST-801. I don't know but every cartridge that I run through the GST-801 simple shines.

Doug, it is in borderline of high mass but nothing like " very high mass ". Well the KRSP has no Koetsu sound at all, I'm very happy with it.

Well I heard a few B&W models from the old 801 to the 25 Silver ( this one I like it ) and with several electronics ( tube and SS ): Pass, Audio Note, Conrad Jhonson, Audio research, Classe, M. Levinson, Krell.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Thanks, guys. Excellent info.

Apologies to Dazzdax for the digressions.

Doug I have no current reference for your current electronics. I beleive you were a former cj owner. So was I. My curret change of electronics is to try to get that leading edge right.
In some ways I agree with you. I don't hate the sound of rounded transients. I just find it lacking, No doubt so did you.
gregadd

Gregadd,

Very true. Our c-j preamp (tube) had alot of that rounded quality, on both leading edges and trailing ones. Typical c-j warmth. Pleasant, musical and never offensive, but not fully lifelike. It also lacked adequate power supplies, so our dynamic range wasn't up to snuff.

Our c-j amp was SS, so transient speed was less of an issue. It did have a little waveform edginess, that SS glare, but its single biggest problem was also inadequate power supplies.