Thanks @frenchrooster, I’ll give it some serious consideration.
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I’d be interested in your findings.
I’ve been looking for a tuner that supports DAB+ so when this appeared for almost half retail price, I couldn’t resist.
Teac PD-301 tuner/CD player (with DAB+ update)
It’s reassuringly sturdy with an aluminium front, the blue display is a little brash but can be dimmed down to almost off.
DAB performance is as expected but bounces along nicely with a strong rhythm. The CD has the same bounce and a nice clarity without being harsh. I’ve not tried USB playback yet but as a secondary (multi) source I’m impressed.
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I went on Friday and met Ivan. I also spent some time in the Simplicity demo room listening to the M6. According to Simon, a partitioned demo room of that size costs SGD 18k. I think it is quite costly to participate.
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Was talking with Simon, on the magico and the taiko . He told me the s2 was a more balanced speakers amd NEW. More value for $$, compared with M2. I am sourcing for the most difficult components in the system —- speakers— not easy at all..
then I was w Swee and also Steven on the vivid Giya..
the vivid surprised me on the speed and the very tight and fast respond bass.. Swee was telling me and showed me that vivid had paired with statement on a few show .
Had heard what the M series can delivered.am new to the vivid .. what’s your opinions on the vivid?
Ya I saw Ivan too
Funny coincidence, I’m fairly sure that I already had my Urushi back then. Otherwise it would have been a Lyra Lydian.
If you still feel the same way about your Koetsu, consider a rebuild. Mine has been retipped by van den Hul, Allaerts and Expert Stylus and rebuilt by Ana Mighty Sound.
As you are in the UK I would suggest getting in contact with Expert Stylus and have them look at your cartridge. They did a fine job with mine. I like what Ana Mighty did even more, but it would add a layer of complexity, due to their location in the EU.
As far as I know the old Koetsu rebuilt was a sort of update, insofar as changes made between the original and current versions were incorporated. Unlike the previous paragraphs, this isn’t based on personal experience, but on something I have read somewhere else. It made sense to me, as it would explain the higher cost, compared to Expert Stylus, for example.
After trying many phono stages over the years, I eventually settled on the Unison Research Phono One tube phono preamplifier. The Allnic H-6500 is an excellent unit as well, but to my ears it lacks the sense of flow, timbre and organicity that the Phono One brings. The same applies to several other phono stages I auditioned, some costing nearly three times as much.
It is as if the Phono One does exactly what I am looking for in the overall presentation of my system, with the result that I stop listening to the equipment and simply listen to the music. Of course, everyone has their own preferences.
After five years of experimenting, I have finally arrived at what I consider, for my ears, to be a highly coherent system: Nottingham Analogue Dais turntable, Ace Anna 10-inch tonearm, Lyra Etna Lambda, Unison Research Phono One, CanEVER ZeroUno Plus tube preamplifier, and the Naim NAP 250 DR power amplifier—which has remained in the system, and for good reason.
The NAP 250 DR does something that is not easily replaced: it brings energy, rhythmic conviction and control without pulling the musical presentation apart. In my system, it does not seem to impose a character of its own; rather, it faithfully conveys the qualities of the source and the preamplifier, allowing the music to unfold naturally and convincingly.
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Thank you @Mulberry
Definitely further food for thought. Re-building/re-tipping seems to be such a minefield, and it’s hard to get recent, unbiased advice which is backed up by actual experience.
It will be hard to choose between the Magico M Series and Vivid Cu. If you ask me to pick one, I’ll have a hard but enjoyable time deciding. 
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Quite true and you really shouldn’t do anything based solely on my advice.
The first companies to retip my cartridge were ones recommended by my dealer who had previous experience with them. I read about Expert Stylus in stereophile, an US magazine. After I foolishly broke the cantilever of my Urushi I got in contact with them via email, had a good conversation with them and decided to give them a try.
I learned about the existence of Ana Mighty the same way, but was mainly interested in their step-up transformers. This resulted in another conversation and two step-ups and two cartridges being sent to me for a demo. While I didn’t buy any of these, I was impressed by the quality of all four. That’s why I decided to have my Urushi rebuilt by them. There is an article in Tone Audio that shows what they are able to do with another Urushi. You might want to take a look at it. I think @Yeti has some experience with Ana Mighty, too.
As you apparently like your Hana, take your time and don’t rush into anything (contrary to what I wrote at the beginning, please take this advice 
)
“Gardena, CA—May 9, 2024—Analog2Fidelity, LLC proudly announces the launch of a groundbreaking service: the comprehensive rebuild of all Koetsu cartridges ever manufactured. Spearheaded by Arturo A. Manzano, Director of Analog2Fidelity, this initiative marks a significant milestone in the preservation of Koetsu’s unparalleled legacy.
With over three decades of high-end audio experience, Arturo A. Manzano has cultivated an extensive network within the industry. Leveraging his deep-rooted connections with the craftsmen behind Koetsu’s legendary cartridges, Manzano has made possible the revival of every Koetsu cartridge to its former glory.
“While Koetsu cartridges may no longer be in production, their spirit and essence remain alive through our meticulous rebuilding service,” remarked Arturo A. Manzano. “By offering this service, we honor the visionary legacy of Sugano Yoshiaki, founder of Koetsu, and ensure that music lovers can continue to experience the sonic excellence that define Koetsu cartridges.”
Renowned for their craftsmanship, Koetsu cartridges have earned a hallowed place in the hearts of audio enthusiasts globally. Now, thanks to Analog2Fidelity’s efforts, owners of Koetsu cartridges can rest assured that their cherished pieces will be rejuvenated to their original brilliance.”
I had a Proteus rebuilt by them but opted for a change of stylus profile on a whim, which I don’t regret. François is an excellent fellow by my experience but there’s been a few changes of late, like new premises and I did hear the retip service was suspended, though that might no longer be the case. Best contact them to see what the latest is.
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Hi FR,
all of this might be true, but I would like to hear from someone who had his/her Koetsu rebuilt there, not just the companies self promotion.
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Have you ever thought of getting Sean Jacobs/CHC passive crossovers for your DBLs?
I have pondered the possibility a few times but then I hear my DBL’s in full flow and wonder why I would want to change a single thing! I was lucky enough to have my crossovers checked by Naim a few years ago - apparently this is something they don’t usually undertake unless really pushed. I think Jason once told me that they’ve only ever had to repair one DBL crossover because of too much power for too long.
I’ve often contemplated playing around with some of the new style speaker feet like the Stack Audio stuff. I’d like to see how it compares to the Mana stand I currently use under them? I’m conscious that Naim designed DBL’s to be absolutely rigid and the Mana stands adds a sort of backwards/forwards compliance to the mix. As you can imagine it’s not easy doing A/B testing with DBL’s but I did it twice with the Mana stands vs spikes/chips and ended up slightly preferring the Mana sound. I believe the Stack Audio approach is a lot more rigid and gets some very good press, I’m just unsure of how well it will work with such large speakers?
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A two and a half week holiday. Bear with me on this one. The impact of this on my system has been substantial!
I retuned yesterday after a good deal of time away from listening (well to my hifi anyway). I left things running all afternoon after powering up whilst visiting a poorly relative in hospital.
Several variables might play a part here. Firstly I’d left my Chord Music interconnect at my dealer who sent it back to the manufacture to be checked over as the heat-shrink around the DIN connectors had become loose and was twisting. It came back repaired but the service note was distinctively vague so I have no idea what they might have done to it 
Secondly everything had been off and resting for a good while, doctrine suggests this should degrade sound quality for a short while until a few days of powered-on recovery
Was it the weather? Hot and humid conditions have been said to improve the passage of sound waves and could be implicated
Was it the absence, it makes the heart grow fonder after all
Perhaps a combination of all factors, regardless of the answer here I’m once again in love with what I’m hearing.
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The guys at the new reborn Koetsu factory are the same artisans who were working before with the original company. It’s very undoubtedly they will not do a perfect work.
There’s a review by Michael Fremer on the top Koetsu made by them. He was very enthusiastic and said this cart is probably the best cart he has never heard. He is always honest I think.
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Although I think that you got my perfectly message right: I’m not doubting the ability of the current Koetsu crew, it’s just that I haven’t seen anything they have done. With Ana Mighty and Expert Stylus I have first hand experience.
Michael Fremer surely is knowledgeable and has had his hands on a ton of things. I respect his views, but only to a certain degree. He seems to care a little too much about his status as top authority and unnecessarily prejudiced against some things, like acrylic platters for. According to him all sound soft and dull. As a longtime owner of Pink Triangle Anniversary and dps turntables I know two that are anything but.