Price: $4000

Website: www.aesthetix.net

He said: The standard Rhea deserves the accolades it has received over the years, and continues to prove a value leader at $4000. That it now marks the beginning of an upgrade path makes it a fantastic musical investment.

Read the Ultra Audio review.

The gist: Perhaps one of the best phono stages for under $5000.

Price: $899

Website: www.audio-technica.com

He said: Having cartridges like the AT33EV around will make life difficult for makers of high-priced MM cartridges -- there’s now reason to question how much more improvement you’ll hear for all those extra dollars.

Read the SoundStage! review.

The gist: The natural step up from an entry-level MC.

Price: $7800

Website: www.artemislabs.com

He said: I’d say, in general, that the Artemis Labs SA-1 would be a turntable for discerning music lovers rather than for audiophiles questing for a component that would reveal utter details like the smack of lipstick on a wet pair of lips.

Read the Ultra Audio review.

The gist: Musical, aesthetically refined, and unfussy.

Price: $1595

Website: www.belcantodesign.com

He said: I found that its articulate and tuneful bass brought life to recordings of small-ensemble jazz, its sweet midrange captivatingly reproduced voices, and its depth of soundstage imbued many classical recordings with a concert-like feel.

Read the SoundStage! review.

The gist: Right on the money for the price.