Vinyl Asylum

• Re: Stuck between phono stages. - stacks 06:53:56 07/19/06 (0)
  In Reply to: Stuck between phono stages. posted by Jim in Blacksburg on July 15, 2006 at 10:45:41:

  parasound zphono - I have the Zphono and love it. It never ceases to amaze me what it can do. The bass response is incredible. Plus, Parasound's service is topnotch. I am actually in the process of upgrading my turntable cartridge to the Dynavector 10x5. Concerned the Zphono wouldn't be able to handle the load, I contacted them, got an immediate response from Richard, the company president, who told me to send the unit in for a free upgrade to handle the extra load. My advice for doing it on the cheap? Get the Parasound, the Analog cables with Eichmann plugs from Frank at Signal Cable, and be prepared to hear what about 250 bucks will do for your system.
  
  

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• Going half-hog ... :^) - Paul Joppa 20:43:52 07/15/06 (0)
  In Reply to: Stuck between phono stages. posted by Jim in Blacksburg on July 15, 2006 at 10:45:41:

  I don't often check in here, but happened to see this post - it's Saturday night about 8:30... I designed the Seduction, for whatever that is worth. Apply your own preferred grains of salt!

  If you're a broke student, and still want the Seduction, my advice would be to skip the upgrade for now. To my ear, the biggest differences are between solid state and tubes, and between feedback and no feedback. Second order effects are the use of modern high transconductance tubes, and use of current sources. The upgrade is only the latter; the basic Seduction already uses high transconductance, tubes, and zero feedback.

  If you have further interest, drop by the Bottlehead forum - I don't think it's appropriate for me to say much more here.
  
  

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• Re: Stuck between phono stages. - Jim in Blacksburg 20:16:15 07/15/06 (0)
  In Reply to: Stuck between phono stages. posted by Jim in Blacksburg on July 15, 2006 at 10:45:41:

  > > Another advantage of the Bellari is that it's a pretty darn good
  > > headphone amp as well - for when you don't want to rock the entire
  > > dorm :-).

  Oh, I'm no longer in the dorms...no way I'd put a turntable in the dorms, never mind a set of tube monoblocks, heh.

  To Rick W - Thanks, but it's been a work-in-progress for a while now, slowly piecing together each component one at a time. Only way to afford it on a Ramen budget.

  Guess I'm going with the Seduction...I was leaning that way anyway, but this just confirmed it ;)
  
  
  

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• Go with the Bellari - albertoderoma 11:53:20 07/15/06 (0)
  In Reply to: Stuck between phono stages. posted by Jim in Blacksburg on July 15, 2006 at 10:45:41:

  Go somewhere in between $150 and $350 and get the Bellari VP129 at $250. I have one at it does great even though it's the least expensive component in my audio chain. I'll eventually build a Bottlehead Seduction to go with the S.E.X. amp (see pics in link for my interim "wife-is-away" set-up which includes the Bellari.)

  Another advantage of the Bellari is that it's a pretty darn good headphone amp as well - for when you don't want to rock the entire dorm :-).

  Alberto
  

  • http://flickr.com/photos/85601629@N00/186440242/   (Open in New Window)

  
  

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• You have a pretty good system for a penny pinching college student. - Rick W 11:14:35 07/15/06 (1)
  In Reply to: Stuck between phono stages. posted by Jim in Blacksburg on July 15, 2006 at 10:45:41:

  Why go so cheap on a very important element of analogue sound? I haven't heard either, but I'd bet the Bottlehead is quite a bit better. Its pretty highly thought of on this forum, and also by some knowledgeable guys on the Tubes DIY forum. Hey, believe me, I know what its like to be short of cash. But think about this: Even if you only keep whatever phono stage you get for one year, the difference in price between the two you mentioned is less than a buck per day.
  
  

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  • Re: You have a pretty good system for a penny pinching college student. - John Elison 12:22:12 07/15/06 (0)
    In Reply to: You have a pretty good system for a penny pinching college student. posted by Rick W on July 15, 2006 at 11:14:35:

    > Even if you only keep whatever phono stage you get for one year, the difference
    > in price between the two you mentioned is less than a buck per day.

    It's even less than $0.55 per day!
    
    

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• Re: Stuck between phono stages. - HenryH 11:04:03 07/15/06 (1)
  In Reply to: Stuck between phono stages. posted by Jim in Blacksburg on July 15, 2006 at 10:45:41:

  I've owned the ZPhono and, while it is a decent entry level phono stage, it is not in the same league, sonically, with the Bottlehead. Actually, I think the Cambridge 640P is a better value than the ZPhono. It goes for $189.

  
  Henry

  A 12-gauge shotgun is the ultimate arbiter of disputes - G. Gordon Liddy
  
  

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  • Re: Stuck between phono stages. - Fishstink 12:30:16 07/15/06 (0)
    In Reply to: Re: Stuck between phono stages. posted by HenryH on July 15, 2006 at 11:04:03:

    Bottlehead much, much better. Do a search on Bellari reviews many complain of a hum that they can't get rid of.Some say they are good but nothing above an entry phonostage. Some just love them. Can't go wrong with the bottlehead.
    
    

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