What Phono PreAmp Do You Have?

[theoman]

I've been on AK and I've gone to believe there was only on preamp and that was a Jolida JD9.
I did all the mods I went thru the US vs China days. But I think its time to move on.
Any suggestions were to go?

 

[sturgus]

I am a little biased but I like my Graham Slee stuff. The cool thing is you can try it in your system for several weeks. You just have to pay for shipping to and fro. I think my total cost was $ 23 bucks. That was 2 peramps and 2 sets of cables.

 

[4-2-7]

Jolida JD9

You hardly ever hear about that one anymore, as for me I never understood the buying of them just to have to mod them after.

What's your stereo preamp?

 

[mprince]

I use Vista Audio Phono-1 mkII. A step up from that is the Phono-2, which I may move up to but I am very happy with the model I have.

 

[sturgus]

I guess I should have asked whats your budget?

 

[theoman]

You hardly ever hear about that one anymore, as for me I never understood the buying of them just to have to mod them after.

What's your stereo preamp?

Krell KAV-250 and Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC

 

[theoman]

I guess I should have asked whats your budget?

under 1k

 

[bobins08]

I am a little biased but I like my Graham Slee stuff. The cool thing is you can try it in your system for several weeks. You just have to pay for shipping to and fro. I think my total cost was $ 23 bucks. That was 2 peramps and 2 sets of cables.

Hey Sturgus ,

You need to bring that Graham Slee phono stage over someday for a listening session.

Nothing has beat my Preamp's MM stage so far. For moving coil I like an SUT connected to the same mm input.

 

[sturgus]

I will Bob. That's a very good phonostage in the PasPro. Since you rolled the Amprex 7308's

 

[4-2-7]

Krell KAV-250 and Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC

I asked what your stereo preamp is, you know volume control, input selector, built in RIAA phone stage.

 

[enginedr]

I am using a IFI- I Phono 2 and loving it @ 499.00 I had a JD-9 too noisy and a pain to get to the settings

 

[dcmfan]

I think its time to move on.
Any suggestions were to go?

under 1k

Under $1000 I like the Lehmann Black Cube a lot. Very quiet, handles both moving magnet and moving coil cartridges and has an open slot for inserting resistors to create custom loading for MC carts. Gain and loading are adjustable in steps up to 66db. Order from Amazon and send it back if you don't like it.

https://www.lehmannaudio.com/phono-stages/black-cube.html

The sound it produces is natural and lifelike. The Lehmann made my system sound less like a stereo and more like a live performance. I compared it back to back with the Parasound JC3+ and the Lehmann was very, very close which says a lot, I think, given that the Parasound is 4x the cost.

 

[justjed2]

Parasound Zphono-USB. I didn't get it for the USB, but for the rumble filter and mono-switch. Not really the quietest in MM, but not bad with a 2M Blue. Haven't felt he need(or have the cartridge) to try MC. Yet.

 

[sturgus]

This one may be worth a look. It's in your price range. I haven't heard it but it comes from a good company that basically does phonostages.
http://sutherlandengineering.com/products/kc-vibe/

 

[Audiofreak71]

I second the Graham slee phono stage, I'm running the Acession it's a bit out of your price range but they have exceptional sounding phono preamps that are in your price range and like @sturgus said they have a try before you buy program that is a no brainer.

Audiofreak71

 

[KLH9]

Embarrassed to say but I am still running an external PS audio phono preamp that I got back in the 70's

sounded good then and still sounds fine to my ears.

 

[sqlsavior]

Embarrassed to say but I am still running an external PS audio phono preamp that I got back in the 70's

sounded good then and still sounds fine to my ears.

I'll bet it does! So does my Luxman C1000 from that era.

No need to be embarrassed.

 

[dshoaf]

I've been using a PassDIY Pearl phono pre now for about 10 years. It is, without a doubt, one of the best designs I've ever owned. You have to be a built-it guy as they were sold as board-kits only, though.

For store-bought, I've enjoyed the McIntosh MX-110 phono pre but it has a higher noise floor due it being tube-based than the Pearl. The phono pre in the Advent model 300 is excellent but it will likely need restoration first to get back that level of performance. Frankly, in the past 40 years, that's the extent of my RIAA phono pre experience.

Cheers,

David

 

[theoman]

I asked what your stereo preamp is, you know volume control, input selector, built in RIAA phone stage.

No built in phono stage. I maybe swapping it out for a Ampzilla pre-amp that has a preamp

 

[theoman]

Maybe it would make more sense if I would have asked what preamp and is it MM or MC. I'm open on buying both.
as of now I'm looking at a Linn Arkiv of Adikt