Whest ps.30r

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?

Has anyone compared the Whest to the EAR324 ? Thanks.

Crystalref: "I can honestly say that the designer, James Henriott, has kept all the previous atributes of the PS.30RDT and has produced a phono stage that also has that elusive valve-like organic structure but without the noise pitfalls."

I have the PS30 RDT SE at home since 4 days and I can't say more about the difference with my previous PS30 RDT .. the unit is new and needs more break in time to be properly evaluated.
But I can already agree with Crystalref the SE is totally different sounding machine compared to the standard 30RDT .. and more on the valve side than the standard version.
I 'll add more opinions/thoughts when the unit 'll have finished its break in time.

My cent!

Yes, you need to give it a few days,which I also found when I had the 30RDT. About 4-6 days into the Special Edition it settles nicely BUT like many upgrades in my system I have always found that going from the better to worse was MUCH easier to hear than the other way around.

Just spoke to a friend in who has just heard the Special Edition and compared it to the Rhea...he laughed and ordered the Special Edition. He called the Special Edition an audio bargain!

Thank you all for the interesting replies; I have however gone another route. I gave the RDT a listen and though an improvement on the ps.30R still not what I was looking for. I am now using a Conrad Johnson premier 15 series 2 with great success and no regrets. I cannot comment on the Special edition it may well be completely different to the standard RDT but for now and the foreseeable future the system has never sounded better..The musical and emotional connection to the music is extremely satisfying with the CJ. I have lived with the ps.20 the .30 ref and used the RDT briefly so can attest to their well documented virtues. As you move up the line the improvements are gradual but significant. At £4500 the RDT special edition had better be in a different league to the phono stages before it, for that money one would expect it to be nothing less than sublime. Thanks again for all the responses. My search is over.