Whest ps.30r


Having owned both the Whest Ps .20 and .30r I am now ready to try another phono stage in the same price bracket. As much as I like the Whest for all it does well. ( soundstage;dynamics; incredible detail: and quiet) I find it to lack a certain amount of humaness for want of a better word. It has to my ears a definite transister sound to it. I am looking for something that has the same depth, detail;dynamics and quietness but with a touch more warmth. We can all quote and read reviews I am looking for answers with genuine personal experience. Thanks in advance
sledge
>>10-03-10: Easternize
i only wish there was a review to really have an independent opinion on the Ref V<<

No review is independent.

Every reviewer has personal likes/dislikes/biases.

Reviews provide tech information and entertainment.

You must listen for yourself; trusting the wordsmiths who write reviews can be a costly adventure.

IMO
(Audiofeil :No review is independent.

Every reviewer has personal likes/dislikes/biases.

Reviews provide tech information and entertainment.

You must listen for yourself; trusting the wordsmiths who write reviews can be a costly adventure.

IMO)

Not just your opinion.....

I now just look at the pretty pictures in the mags and whatever I like the look of I then take a listen. Boy have I lost money along the way with hifi dealers that are more like car dealers, 'highly recommended' gear that sounds like Amstrad. The reviewers are 'paid' by manufacturers so how on earth can you get an unbiased review. Roy Gregory was in the pockets of Nordost and Tom Evans, Paul Messenger - Naim and the list goes on and on.

The best thing to do is just listen with your ears. If you don't trust your own ears then you are going to be 'fooled' or is that 'bent-over' very easily.
i agree completely with the above.
but where can i listen to and audition
a whest MCF-V phono preamp?

i don't know any dealer that has on in stock at
all, and don't know anyone that has on to audition
unless i fly across the continent.

it is also very difficult to compare any device,
unless it is in your own system anyway.

how do you know how the phono-preamp will sound,
with different speakers, pre-amp, cables, turntable,
phono cartridge, power conditioner, ROOM etc.??

a review in a respectable magazine, which certainly
could be finacially biased, could give at least
an opinion against other similarily priced products.

without hearing the phono-preamp in my own set-up room,
how could i decide?
Yes, the other problem. Auditioning. I travel quite a fair bit so spend time in the UK, Asia, US and mainland Europe.
I heard the MC REF V in the UK and Germany on 2 very different systems and compared the REF V to whatever was there at the time. I also compared it to the PS.30RDT Special Edition in the UK. There is no doubting the superiority of the MC REF V over the PS.30RDT Special Edition...that was a very easy demonstration which eventually made me think 'now save up'. The PS.30RDT Special Edition I have compared to the ASR B Exc, Audio Research PH7, Boulder 1008, PS.30RDT and my very good friends Manley Steelhead, which is now up for sale!. The Special Edition betters all of these others by leagues. Not a small performance increase but a very easy LARGE one, and in all areas.

The MC REF V does not take the SE 'sound' and performance further but is quite a different thing altogether. It sounds far more like 'anti-hifi', 'anti-electronics' and what you end up with is music, real instruments in a real soundstage...it's weired but totally believeable and makes you want to play MORE and MORE vinyl.

I am a couple of months into my Special Edition and can honestly say with my hand on my weak heart that I've never played so much vinyl in my life! The PS.30RDT Special Edition makes you want to listen to more and more music.

My next thing is trying to find a dealer OR someone that has compared the TW Raven arm to the Audio Origami PU7...know anyone?