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I have currently have a Audio Innovations P2 phono, which is the best of a smallish list of phono stages I've heard. However, with a new t/table I'm saving for I will have two tonearms and will need a second phono stage. So I was wondering what was considered the bee's knees in phono stages now days?This will be in view of using it with my Koetsu Urushi/Koetsu Transformer, so MC flexibility isn't crucial, though would be interesting). My system is all valve, and I guess I'd prefer to keep it that way!
Regards,
Follow Ups:
The EAR 324 has it all. 2 inputs (MC/MM), polarity and mono buttons, an internal step up transformer with 3 settings for MC, RCA and XLR outputs, and highly adjustable capacitance AND impedance (!) for proper loading of MM carts. It's quiet, neutral, and high resolution. No, it's not valve but it sounds incredible.
Edits: 10/06/12
Sentec EQ-10
EMT JPA-66
/m
I'm using the Artemis Labs PH-1 which is an all tubed unit - no step up transformers - and gives you 50-52db of gain. I absolutely love this phonostage. It's dynamic, has excellent frequency extension at both ends, full of harmonic information, but I would not call it colored. It doesn't sound thin or bleached, but also not carmelized either. To my ears, it sounds right. I listen to alot of live acoustical music (classical, combo jazz, and big band swing)and it sounds alot like that. It does not sound hi-fi. I would not be afraid of using it with the Koetsu's. I use it with a wood body benz with an output of .9mv but am told by the designer that you can go as low as .4mv. I also have an all tubed system with First Sound Presence Audio line stage and single ended triode 845 power amp and must say to MY ears that I just love it. Also, it's only $3,000 which is quite a bit less expensive than alot of the other options out there. Worth a listen....which I believe is what you ultimately need to do with any of the suggestions given to you to see if it fits in with your current system. That's part of all the fun.
I was searching for it, including using all posts started by me but couldn't find it again!
Daniel.
I have own several state-of-the-art phono stages, including the Boulder 2008, ASR Basis Exclusive, Aethetix IO and Nagra PLP. While each of these phono stages is very good in its own right, none of them come close to my current reference: Lyra Connoisseur 4.2P SE.The Connoisseur is by far, and I mean by far, the single best phono stage and line stage I have heard. Soundstaging, imaging, bass extension, tonality and most of all, EASE. The sound makes your shoulders relax and you head drop. It really is that good. Let me know if you need more detailed input.
dot
Pat
Happy listening
Which is best is too subjective. IMO, the best active linestages are vintage Accuphase.The stand-alones are the C-220 MM/MC preamp and the C-7/17 MC headamps.
I have also achieved exceptional results using precisely-matched MC transformers with the world-beating MM-sections of my C-200 preamp and E-202 integrate.
Ofcouse, the MM/MC section of my C-240 is absolutely sota as well.
Hi there,
Any of the esoteric units that have already been mentioned are more costly than my vintage 1968 Austin Mini Cooper S sports car engine !
We do not need to spend crazy money. I can heartily recommend the following phono stage preamp, which replaced the phono stage in my Lux CL-32, CL-30, ARC SP-3A, ARC SP-2, Paragon 12, Paragon E. I only kept the Paragon E and ARC SP-2, but my all-time favorite phono stage is the SHURE M65, which uses two Telefunken ECC83 tubes, some upgraded caps and tweaked RIAA caps for hi freq deemphasis. Lately, they cost about $200-$250 on the bay. One hour of four parts' upgrades will prevent you from ever needing another phono stage.
I can almost guarantee that ! The Shure M65 is it !!!
There were even some shiny chrome chassis editions from certain years' production. All you affluent 'philes can laugh, but I am laughing the best and enjoying the music the most !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
one does not have to spend a ton of money to get good performance.that said, do you have direct experience with any of those 'esoteric units' to which you refer? i don't seem them in your list.
not sure how you can poo-poo performance of those units if you haven't at least heard them (maybe you have, but you haven't indicated such). e.g., see mikel's post below for a list of some, but not all, top performers.
the original poster didn't ask about 'value'. also, note that i am NOT saying your recommendation is NOT "the best ever" (i haven't heard it) -- just merely asking the question as to how you know it is both sonically superior as well as less expensive than the best of the megabuck gear.
PS "the best of the megabuck gear" is an important point, as there is a lot of crappy megabuck gear out there, too.
Since no piece of equipment is perfect, there are always some compromises, and you have to choose what you are willing to live with. In fact, there is no agreed-upon definition of perfection. This holds even in the high stratosphere of the most refined, high-quality equipment that exists. Compromises exist in performance, there are differences in appearance, and ergonomics and features are important. These are all part of what goes into making a choice. So the crucial issue is defining what you mean by "best." For example, there is no best speaker. Speakers sound different, and one person's greatest speaker in existence is another person's "That's not for me." The same goes for phono stages. They can sound different from one another. What kind of sound are you after? Some top stages are known for warmth, others for neutrality, others for bass slam, others for looking very pretty, others for having virtually nothing extra in the signal path, others for extreme versatility, others for the quiet of SS, others for the "magic" of tubes, etc. This is part of what keeps the free enterprise system alive and well.I'm sorry to get on the soap box. You are asking a good question, but I would suggest a slightly different version of it: could somebody suggest the best phono stage for me (in the world, at X or any price, if you wish) with the following desirable (essential) qualities, features, characteristics, etc.?" And then list them. You did say you prefer valves. That is a good start.
I could give you my suggestions, but I have no idea if they are what you are really looking for. For example, I own an Audio Research PH 5. It does use valves, but it is extremely neutral. I would say it has no sound character of its own, it simply amplifies a signal and applies the appropriate frequency balance correction. Some people love it, others don't. The people who don't often refer to it as lifeless or cold, unemotional, uninvolving. I know what they mean. I would say, alternatively, that its sound is uncolored, while many stages (like my previous EAR 834p) have colored sound. Does that mean the PH 5 is better? No, I would say that its kind of sound is more to my preference, and what anyone else chooses is their own choice and needs no justification. To thine own ears be true.
Thanks for your reply. Ill do some research on the PH5.
Daniel.
No such thing, and besides, some of the contenders, like the Audionote M-10 phono stage, cost several times more than your entire system.Since you are planning to use a step up transformer, you don't need one with a lot of gain, whether provided in part by an extra active stage or a built-in step up transformer. I have not heard it myself, but the Artemis phono stage looks promising. It can be bought with or without a step up transformer.
If you don't mind "wasting" (i.e., not using) the first stage in a high gain phono stage, I have heard and liked a number of candidates. The Manley Steelhead is incredibly flexible and versatile and sounds good to me. A friend has a Boulder that is amazingly flexible and configurable (one can even change plug-in equalization "cards") and do just about anything else, provided you have something like $30k to spend on a stage.
I own, and like, the Viva fono, but it has a built-in step up transformer, so it is not for the lower gain application you are looking at.
Would it be possible for you to post a review of the Viva Fono, or email me privately with your opinions?
Thanks in advance.
i dislike the word 'best' and even more 'best ever'.but there are likely 10 to 15 phono stages at the top of the heap depending on your tastes and system context.
some that come to mind in no particular order;
Boulder 2008
Various Connoisseur Definitions models
Wavac
Kondo/Audio Note M1000 MK II, M7 IIk phono
ASR
darTZeel NHB-18NS
FM Acoustics 222 MK III
Einstein
Aesthetix Io Signature w/tubes rolled.
the above list is not complete but any one of them is going to be excellent.
personally; tubed units are euphonic......wonderfully euphonic but euphonic none the less. the combination of your Koetsu and a 'tube sounding' pre would not be my choice.....but that is a matter of personal choice.
mikel
Mike--Anything new with your room and/or system. Always enjoy seeing what's new with you.
Denden,thanks.
nothing has changed with my vinyl front end for awhile.
i did do a minor upgrade recently that had major system performance implications. i replaced my Jena Labs cryo'd duplex AC outlets with Oyaide R1 Beryllium outlets and WPC covers. it lowered the noisefloor and increased dynamics to a large degree in my system.....which resulted in a significant improvment on the digital side (my phono stage and pre are battery powered so it had less effect there). this improvment affected redbook and especially SACD which pulled out much more clearly ahead of redbook.
this improvement in SACD prompted me to install multi-channel.....which i am in the middle of doing. i have purchased the EMM Labs Switchman III, an analogue multi-channel pre. i have had a 'phantom center channel' option installed since i dislike a center channel for music (i do use one and like it for my separate HT room). i have purchased rear speakers and amps and am having long interconnects made for rear channels and front subwoofer. when i had my room built i installed dedicated outlets and conduit in the floor for the rear channels and sub.
the multi-channel will be up and running in a week or two. my experience with high end multi-channel has been mixed as i dislike having musical content in the rear channels as it is distracting and not real.....OTOH there are so many excellent classical multi-channel SACDs that i know there will be many that are done right.
i've always wanted to try multi-channel as long as it did not compromise my 2-channel. we will see how i really like it.
.......i almost forgot; i did change speakers 5 months ago to the Evolution Acoustics MM3's.they are wonderful.
not sure how recent you may have looked at the system.....click on my system page for pictures.
...stating a specific phono stage (as -- except for jweiss below -- not many people can state that one is best as a 'fact'), i would posit that the following things could likely improve your phono experience:1) minimize # of connections/cables. as patrick A (/j harris) writes, below, an extremely high-quality, built-in phono stage eliminates a set of cables. that said, it does have the source switches.
2) if you can do without it, get a phono stage that is phono only (takes in an MC or MM-level input and outputs a line-level signal, with no switches in the signal path). run this direct to your amp. it does one better than #1, above.
this is not feasible for everyone, but if you mainly listen to vinyl, then it's not a big deal to, every now and again, physically switch cables from the amp to the source you wish to use.
disclosure: i do this -- but i listen to vinyl > 95% of the time -- maybe i listen to a cd every month or so. more important is the number of sources you listen to in any given session. if you tend to jump between vinyl & another source, this doesn't work so well. if you listen to, say, all CD one day and all vinyl the next then this solution works pretty well.
also, if you simply must keep your current linestage, you can still go the above route -- although you'll now have an extra box.
if you tell us your budget we may be able to provide some direction to guide you to a number of products that are very good in that range.
Analog Fan- don't you think its about time, given your daily outpouring of advice, that you tell us, for example, what YOU use as a phono stage? Would'nt that be more helpful to everyone here, and illuiminating, than your present, disingenous stance? It seems like everyone else who has posted in this thread has their whole system up and listed, and we can see, for example, what mikel or interstage tranny use for preamps, tt, speakers, etc. My system is listed. Just not yours. Because for some reason you are too shy or embarrassed about your equipment, but then you still have plenty of opinions and advice for everyone else in your multiple daily posts. Not shy about that, right?By the way, ever talk with guys who master and cut vinyl? Ask them what the best cutting lathe of all time is widely considered to be (Neumann.) Now work backwards. What were the (tube) electonics used by Neumann to listen and check those masters?
Of course, Michael Framer is never going to review one, so why bother.
Gee, Jonathan, I won't be putting my phonostage on a T-shirt anytime soon, either.You've got lots of groovy gear, and a party for the hoi polloi. Sweet! Wish you'd invite me. I'd like to be a fly on the wall, and maybe meet a couple of the attendees, with whom I have the most tenuous of relationships.
But here's my impression: AnalogGuy's posts are about records. He has a lot of records I wish were in my collection--which is why I read his posts. You, on the other hand, seem to have lots of unobtanium equipment. I'd like to hear it, to see how it compares to my own; but I'd rather have the other guy's records. And my stereo.
...or are your reading comprehension skills just poor.i gave you an invitation twice now, and you haven't taken me up on it. provide a compelling reason for me, and perhaps we can speak privately.
why is what i use relevant to that post? sorry for not being one to say "what i own is best."
in other posts (you clearly read them) i've mentioned types of equipment i favor, and i also tend to say what i have heard when i'm providing input.
i've repeatedly told you i've heard good characteristics and bad of all technologies. what, exactly, are you not getting?
maybe go back to shooting films about swing music or tufts?
it's clear you've learned a ton in 6 years. good for you!
is michael fremer (i presume that's who you mean) still a reviewer? i don't read audio magazines and haven't so much as looked at one for at least 10 years, but maybe you can enlighten us/me.
Analog Guy, I am very sorry to hear that your family was robbed. I have no desire for you to feel your security is compromised by my request. I will take you up on your offer to contact you privately. To do that I would need your email address.My interest in this is very simple. You have been posting on gear, and you clearly have a point of view, an agenda if you will. That's fine, we all do to some extent. But you happen to post on equipment a lot. I find it very useful to have a context to understand where someone is coming from. For example, (a very well trodden one) Mr. John Ellison has repeatedly posted about his inability to distinquish digital recording of analog from the real thing. Well, a quick visit to the inmates system section places this in context. Mr. Ellison listens to self powered, inefficient mini monitors which don't have much resolving abilities. So, his stance is entirely comprehensible.
If you wish to disparage Shindo's vinyl setup, for example, the first thing I wonder is, what are you listening to? If you think that is poor value (you injected the concept of value in that post, remember?) the first thing I would ask, is what do you consider "good value" and that is usually answered by seeing how people plunk down their own money.
By the way, I don't make documentary films, but what's up with "maybe go back to shooting films about swing music or tufts?" To "go back" I would have had to have been there already. Maybe you IMDB'd the wrong guy?
Oh, and Milo, contact me privately about coming by for a listen if you like. For that matter, my door is always open if someone wanted to come to the Mill for a session.
hi, jonathan:
i'm a little pressed for time, so here's a quick reply:To do that I would need your email address.
it's possible to email nearly anyone through the AA form by clicking on their handle. mine's no different than for anyone else -- and you must know this as you ask milos to respond to you privately.If you wish to disparage Shindo's vinyl setup, for example, the first thing I wonder is, what are you listening to?
i've not disparaged shindo's vinyl setup that i recall -- but i did say 2 things that may not have been clear. i don't believe either one requires that anyone know what gear i am (/am not) using:
1) @ $20k for a vinyl front-end, the term 'value' does not apply. this is not shindo-specific. my analog front-end is not a 'value' system, either.
2) "best in show" sound does not necessarily mean "great sound". i used the town beauty pageant earlier, and it still applies.
if you took either of those statements as anti-shindo, i'm sorry. as i see it, they had little to do with any single manufacturer, but i suppose they could have been perceived as related to shindo simply because they came up in response to a shindo-related original post.
i'm certain this would have all been clear had we been speaking face-to-face, and i'm certain you would learn that i don't really have an agenda (at least no more than your average non-salesperson & non-audiophile evangelist does, to your point above.)
finally...
the first thing I would ask, is what do you consider "good value" and that is usually answered by seeing how people plunk down their own money.you could have asked me this question in a public forum; the answer does not depend on what i use at home. while i enjoy my music a great deal (and one could say i enjoy my own system as a result), i would not say it is 'good value'. one can know value (or have an opinion on it) without having that piece at home. can one drive a ferrari but know that a camry is a "good value"? i think so -- but your statement implies otherwise.
i stated it in earlier posts, but i think people buying idlers that were up in someone's attic for a song, then restoring them (at not terribly great expense) can make for good value. when you get to $20k, it may be 'good sound', but 'good value' it ain't.
i still remain unconvinced about why you or anyone needs to know my system to support any of those claims.
by anyone's definition, i have pretty highly-resolving audio gear that, to me, reproduces music quite well. respectfully, your john e. example doesn't apply; he's taking a stance of 'i can't hear a difference therefore there isn't a difference.' i've expressed a general perspective about value in audio.
talk to me about the $100k caliburn. my thesis will be the same: it may sound good, but the 'value' term need not apply.
i hope this is just rational discussion. i offer a public apology for making it anything other than that.
This battle is rather amusing for me.It would be interesting to go to the Mill and listen to one-of-a -kind gear, some made by people I'm curious about. It would certainly be a gas to flip through your record collection, or to hear a bit of it on my equipment, in my home.
None of those things are likely to happen. But I thought I might weigh with this: I'm perfectly content to learn details of the collection you've put together, without caring about the equipment you use to play said records.
I played records for quite a few years on three radio stations and several nightclubs, and on a variety of gear. If I played a good set, it always sounded good. In the studio, or the club, or on a cassette On my home stereo gear, music has sounded better as I have improved my equipment--and I have some decent gear. But I'm much prouder of my record collection, and I haven't posted my system, because I don't see the point. If I start asking other VA members which cart I ought to buy, then I suppose they might think they had a right to expect such information--but that isn't happening.
My record collection and my experience are my credentials, not my gear, or money, or the car I drive. If you post your system, I'll probably read it, eventually. If you never list it, I could care less.
Peace.
thank you, milo.personally, i generally care little for what other people are using, and when i do post in a thread where people ask for advice i chime in if i have (in my opinion) something meaningful to share. i try to state why i have a basis for comparison.
that said, i presume most folks can either decide to pay attention to what i say or ignore it -- but it's the advice-seeker's discretion.
jweiss has posted the same thing on 3 occasions now. none of the original advice-seekers have asked for system details -- so either it wasn't important to them or they tuned out the 'noise'. jweiss has also never taken me up on writing me a personal email and my offer to possibly share in a private conversation what i prefer not to list on a public forum. he likes to use the term 'disingenuous' (though he doesn't always get the spelling right) where it does not apply.
it's entertaining to me -- particularly his strong concern.
i try to help people with questions, but i don't see why there's such concern over what gives me such great satisfaction. i can share information with people from mistakes i've made, lessons i've learned, and things i've done right.
jweiss & tubesforever are the only people who have asked for that information out -- and neither one bothered to follow up with me personally. i've never been inclined to look at either one of their systems; doesn't interest me.
the music is more important. i enjoy the discussion about records much more. post up some more covers, milo! i've got a good one for tomorrow...almost want to post it tonight.
I'll say this much about the whole fray...1) My system isn't listed, either. Hifitommy is always after me to do it, but I don't because it is always in a state of flux...or confusion. Anyway, It runs from Magneplanars to KEFs with PS Audio to Conrad Johnson electronics. I also have a dozen, or so, tonearms, and my turntables are either modified, or custom-built. I own a few drawers full of cartridges. I have an ASR phono stage on the way, but who knows how long it will stay around? So why bother trying to list it all? analog guy, I believe you should mention it when it applies to the topic at hand...and, I'm not trying to be overly critical about it.
2) Johnathan listens to a wide variety of music. This I know. Why should he participate in every "spinning" thread, if he doesn't want to? Like most of us, he listens to a bit of everything.
All that said, if someone comes along with specific recommendations about equipment, he should be prepared to answer specific questions about his own equipment...and musical tastes. Otherwise, how can his opinion be weighed? We know only what our experience tells us, and no one on this board has a divining rod that will point him in the direction of vinyl nirvana. This is not to criticize, but to show why some are frustrated by any guy who is somehow mysterious in his presentation of things.
mosin, i take your point.however, if someone doesn't list their system, the person who asked the question can decide whether or not to place any weight on the advice given. in other words, some (like you, perhaps), will place no weight on any words w/o the advice-giver listing the system. others may decide on a post-by-post basis if there is enough information to establish credibility.
on the thread in question, jweiss jumps at me for making a post that did not discuss or recommend any specific gear -- only a concept to consider. it wasn't jonathan's question. why does he have a hard-on for my system? i dunno.
all that aside, no one's taken me up on my offer to discuss this privately.
if you must know, my family was robbed a number of years ago. with the way the internet has gone, it's not terribly hard to find information about everyone. i don't have a particular interest in listing the inventory of my house to someone who can (easily enough) find a map to it -- even if i do live in a place where trespassers are not taken to in a kind manner.
if it's relevant to a private discussion, then i'm happy to talk and share information.
maybe this makes me paranoid...i dunno. but I do know that not only do i not really care about what other people have, i don't wish to display what i do or do not have. i don't like to get into discussions of who-has-the-better-amplifier; even if i was "the winner" (as if there ever could be such a thing), that kind of talk embarrass me and makes me feel uncomfortable.
hope that clears things up a bit.
(oh...regarding point #2... not sure who suggested jonathan participate in anything. it definitely wasn't me. no clue where your comment comes from or to whom it is directed.)
I'm lusting after that one! The Manley has 2 inputs, too!Now if I win the lottery...buy 2 new cars, pay off the mortgage, finish the basement and add that sun room and...oh ya, buy a Stingray!
I don't suppose one can win if they don't play...hmmmmm!
But then I'll want new speakers and new amps and...I have to get that Teres rosewood table, and then I need new wires, oh ya, a new CD player...make that a great universal player. Maybe a few more sound reinforcement devices (echo busters, etc.)...a specialized listening chair...
Have I forgotten anything...oh...more LPs and CDs...and I'm getting a universal player so I should get a bunch of SACDs and DVD audio discs.
I think I have it!
But you? Have fun choosing and remember it's the music, not the sound!
****
If I had more money I'd soon be broke...but I'd have more LPs!
to get best sonics bypass the MC transformer in the Manley steelhead and use the MM input. I use a Dynavector PHA-200 headamp in lieu of the MC transformer and much perfer this combo even though is raises the cost and requires another set of phono interconnect. I have done A/B listening evaluations and using the internal transformer in the steelhead degrades the signal somewhat. Going thru the Dynavector the sound was more transparent, dymanic, had better toneality and clearer detail.Also while I love my steelhead v2 and have for two years now I can't understand why they use cheap brass rca connectors for in inputs and outputs. Wtih so many fine pure copper female rca's now avialable (vampire and WBT nextgen) I do not understand how a $7300 unit can use such cheap parts at a critical connections. That being said I still very much like the steelhead and would rank it as a top performer But there are a number of areas I can see need improvement including the connectors, the male IEC and better solder (lead free).
Cheap? no no no. Please don't use that word about our beloved RCA jacks. That so hurts my feelings. :> (
Those RCA jacks are of our own design and have been made here in ChinO (not ChinA) for about 15 years now. They are not "cheap", I promise. We originally went through the trouble of designing and making our own RCA jacks because at the time in the early 1990's the "audiophile" RCA jacks that were available at the time were all problematic. They were, trust me. Melting plastic, wrongly sized pin, too loose, too tight, prone to breakage, etc. We tried many brands before just doing it ourselves.
Our RCA jack is a rear mounted part with a concentric "shield" on the back. The way they are implemented in all our designs being firmly anchored to PCB's and additionally screwed to the chassis assures they do not spin. The Teflon dialetric does not melt. The gold plate over, yes, brass, assures it does not corrode. That particular gold plate formula is not the prettiest to look at but it is the best for making contacts. The unibody construction does not break. I am sorry if you do not "think" you like our RCA jacks, but me, I ***LOVE*** them since they DO NOT FAIL in the field and to date we have around 100,000 of the buggers out and about in use all over the world. And nothing sounds worse than silence, except maybe a missing ground "BUZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!"
Also, again, they have been made locally all this time pumping money back into our local California economy, and yeah, that's an aspect I dig too.
I hope this helps you appreciate our cherished RCA jacks more than before.
--
Cheers, EveAnna Manley
Are the "Manley" RCA jacks being sold on eBay the real deal?
I'm going to be overhauling a couple of tube preamps that have crummy jacks, and I like the rugged construction of these units. Price is quite reasonable, too.
--Damon
Yes, seller manleylabs2007 is our official Manley eBay store. You can buy our fabulous MANLEY RCA jacks from our ebay store.
--
Cheers, EveAnna Manley
Cheap connectors? Sheesh! Of they'd come as soon as the warranty expired! I put a silver IEC onto the motor housing of my VPI HW19 IV and believe, with the TG silver power cord that it was a very good upgrade for the table.Bob Crump (God rest his soul!) believed that evaluating any type of wire was quite easy when used on a turntable. He'd found that any improvement or change was easily heard that way rather than on a piece of electronics equipment.
I wonder if he ever ran into the dreaded, "sounds good on a 'table, sounds horrible on a piece of electronics"? All I know is that a friend who is the naysayer of all naysayers was convinced...engineers can be so hard-headed! Too many believe we have learned all there is about physics and the properties of physical objects.
Actually, I believe we know just a bit past nothing.
There's a book about Einstein that was just published (Walter Isaacson). In it Isaacson reveals that Einstein thought much the same way, that we know little...I wonder if he would think that there's been much "larnin'" since his theory was published. I nominate any person on the street here in south central PA as Einstein's equal (oh well, equal to his dog).
****
If I had more money I'd soon be broke...but I'd have more LPs!
The MC transformer inputs on my Steelhead are wonderful, I prefer them over the MM inputs for MC cartridges. Matter of taste, cartridge and system synergy? You may have to chase more ground loops to use the transformer input but it is worth it to me, the MM inputs have much less immediacy, delicacy and detail with the cartridges I have used, although I could imagine that with a solid state system the MM might be preferable to take off some edge. Tubes 'n coils, seem to go together.
The Neumann stage. I think the model is something like W2. But that will run you about easily $10K. Its vintage, of course.For contemporary gear, Jeffrey Jackson at Experience Music makes a very fine stage, which we listened to at the Oswaldsmill Tube and Speaker Tasting last month.
Jonathan
The new Nagra Phono.
No one heard it, but that is not important. We can do it like Jonathan Valin in TAS with the PC-1 Cartridge, no Test, no Review but it is the Cartridge of the Year in TAS. Let#s hype.
You didn't say what your budget is.The best phono stages I've ever heard are by Shindo. As a bonus, they are built into his full-function preamps, so you get a linestage as well (and avoid a set of cables - or two if you use the built-in MC input).
They are all tube, and tube rectified to boot... and come with hand-selected NOS tubes by Shindo. All hand-built in Japan.
However they are not cheap. Entry level is the Aurieges which I think is about $4K... I have the Monbrison which is about $8K. And they go up from there. But you won't look back. Liquid, musical, powerful. My Monbrison replaced an Aesthetix Io Signature *and* a BAT linestage.
I love my Shindo gear also and doubt if I'll ever part with it.I have thought of trying a Bob's Devices 1131 step-up tranny though.
I'm a big Shindo fan and would whole-heartedly recommend a Shindo phonostage. The sound is very balanced, natural, dynamic, and gets the tone right. As for me, I use a Shindo Vosne-Romanee which is $16K.Ken Shindo can make you a stand alone phonostage if you don't want a full function preamp. This is not a standard product but would be a custom job. I believe it runs somewhere between $6-8K.
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