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The Flutist: Gary Woodward, first a student at USC, where he got his Master's Degree in the flute, has now been teaching flute there for five years. During a break in the recording sessions, Gary and I sat down while JA was carrying out some urgent repair work on one of the tube microphones and talked about how long he had been gigging professionally.

Gary Woodward: My first professional job here in Los Angeles was in 1976, in a Broadway show called Baker's Wife. I did the American Ballet Theater that year as well. That kind of got me started. Now I…

Woodward: The sound and character of each of these flutes is very, very different. The platinum has a very solid core to the sound that I really like. Within that core there is also a vast flexibility—a myriad of colors that can be found, interesting colors that you don't find in a silver flute, or even a gold flute. Gold flutes are so popular these days; Rampal, of course, has played on his gold Haynes for so long, as has Galway.

Lehnert: Have you played a modern wooden flute at all?

…

Poem: Works for Flute and Piano by Griffes, Reinecke, Prokofiev, and Schumann (AAD) STPH001-1(LP), STPH001-2 (CD)
Gary Woodward, flute—Brooks Smith, piano

[1] Griffes: Poem 9:01 (LP, Side One)

Reinecke: Sonata in E ("Undine"), Op.167 19:51 (LP, Side One)
[2] Allegro 6:44
[3]Allegretto vivace 3:36
[4] Andante tranquillo 3:14
[5] Allegro molto agitato 6:04

Prokofiev: Sonata in D for flute & piano, Op.94 23:46 (LP, Side Two)
[6] Moderato 7:55
[7] Presto 5:13
[8] Andante 3:27
[9] Allegro con brio 6:59

Schumann: Three…

The $4000 Rhea is the direct descendant of the formidable Aesthetix Io and Io Signature phono stages, which put the California company smack…

The Rhea was a shade softer and darker than life in the top half-octave or so of the treble range, perhaps, but there was still more than enough resolution…

Description: Tubed phono preamplifier. Tube complement: V1 & V2, 12AX7LP; V3 & V4, 12AX7WB; V5, 6922 (6DJ8). Functions: standby, input selection, cartridge demagnetizer, gain, loading, mute, display. Gain settings (dB): 75, 68, 62, 56, 50, 44, 38, Off. Loading settings (ohms): 47k, 10k, 5k, 2.5k, 1k, 500, 250, 125, 75. No other specifications given. Power consumption: 20W standby, 100W active.
Dimensions: 18" W by 4 3/8" H by 17 5/8" D. Weight: 39 lbs (17.5kg) shipping.
Serial number of unit reviewed: 1894.
Price: $4000. Approximate number of…

Analog sources: SOTA Cosmos Series III turntable, Graham 2.2 tonearm, Dynavector XV-1S cartridge; Clearaudio Champion 2 turntable with Unify tonearm, Benz L2 cartridge.
Preamplification: Manley Labs Steelhead, Aesthetix Io Signature phono preamplifiers; VTL TL-7.5, Balanced Audio Technology VK-51 SE, Aesthetix Calypso line stages.
Power amplifiers: Lamm M2.1, Manley 250 Neo-Classic monoblocks; Hovland Radia, Plinius SA-102.
Loudspeakers: Calix Phoenix Grand Signature, EgglestonWorks Andra II.
Cables: Phono: Hovland Music Groove 2 (SOTA),…

Although its packaging appears as sturdy as I have experienced, the Aesthetix Rhea arrived with the metal mesh panels that ventilate the top cover detached and one of the 6922 tubes loose inside the chassis, suggesting that the box had been dropped. Nevertheless, once I'd reinserted the tube in its socket, the unit appeared to be working, with both channels basically identical in their measured behavior. And having to plug the tube back in gave me a chance to look inside the chassis, whistling through my teeth as I caught my first glimpse of the Rhea's…