this unit is 7,500
What Phono PreAmp Do You Have?
- Thread starter theoman
- Start date
My best is probably my Garrard MRM. The noise suppression part is not pleasing but with that turned off, the phono stage by itself sounds good. Won't do MC if thats what you're after though. Its also not really a very high end piece but if you trip over one for cheap it might be worth a listen.
You're thinking of the Pulsare. The Pulsus retailed for $1700 last time I looked, although I'm not certain that Avid makes them anymore. But if found used probably within your budget, and it's a great phono pre.
I've only ever used two external (stand-alone) phono stages.
Bellari VP-130 - $275 new but can be had used for cheaper.I thought it sounded pretty good but I didn't like having to unplug it all the time. Had it for 2-3 years until I bought a preamp with phono (Emotiva USP-1). FWIW I thought the stand-alone Bellari sounded better than the Emotiva phono stage. Also you could play with tube rolling.
https://www.musicdirect.com/phono-p...dBV_5epoNrDm-UusJW5ck7oinAvVcaOxoC8bsQAvD_BwE
Then I had a Juicy Blueberry Extreme tube preamp with phono...sounded really nice! But needed the money and sold it.
So then I needed a replacement phono stage to use with my el-cheapo Sainsmart tube preamp. Settled on the Hagerman Bugle 3 for $239. I feel it is a good buy for the money, especially if you don't care about aesthetics. I can leave it plugged in all the time since no tubes to burn out. I feel it sounds quite clear and excellent bass. It may sound even better if I were using better electronics (amp and preamp) but who knows. I'm satisfied with it.
https://www.haglabs.com/collections/phono-preamps/products/bugle3-phono-preamp-mm-mc
Bellari VP-130 - $275 new but can be had used for cheaper.I thought it sounded pretty good but I didn't like having to unplug it all the time. Had it for 2-3 years until I bought a preamp with phono (Emotiva USP-1). FWIW I thought the stand-alone Bellari sounded better than the Emotiva phono stage. Also you could play with tube rolling.
https://www.musicdirect.com/phono-p...dBV_5epoNrDm-UusJW5ck7oinAvVcaOxoC8bsQAvD_BwE
Then I had a Juicy Blueberry Extreme tube preamp with phono...sounded really nice! But needed the money and sold it.
So then I needed a replacement phono stage to use with my el-cheapo Sainsmart tube preamp. Settled on the Hagerman Bugle 3 for $239. I feel it is a good buy for the money, especially if you don't care about aesthetics. I can leave it plugged in all the time since no tubes to burn out. I feel it sounds quite clear and excellent bass. It may sound even better if I were using better electronics (amp and preamp) but who knows. I'm satisfied with it.
https://www.haglabs.com/collections/phono-preamps/products/bugle3-phono-preamp-mm-mc
doctor fuse
Super Member
Benz-Micro Lukaschek PP-1 T9. MC-only phono preamp.
I have the Graham slee Acession and the preamp section is stunning! Dead quiet and very very good sounding.
Audiofreak71
The Acession is a bit pricey but definitely is a case of you get what you pay for as it's probably the best MM preamp I have heard and has more than one function because you can use it as a preamp as well which is nice. I actually ran it straight into my Aragon 4004 MKII and the sound was excellent, sure it didn't quite provide the gain I would want but was sufficient enough. Highly recommended.
Audiofreak71
Audiofreak71
can you post the insides of yours and we can compair them?
I haven't cracked mine open but I suppose I can tomorrow and take some pictures, but now that I'm thinking about it I think I remember seeing pictures of the inside of the Acession online.
Audiofreak71
Here's pictures of the main unit and power supply Audiofreak71
You see no?
Excuse my ignorance but mmf guts?
Audiofreak71
Audiofreak71
I have a Moscode Super-It, unmodded. One the first tube-SS hybrids, it uses 3 12AX7's and FET's. Variable loading via dipswitches at the rear. It's a MM unit but its best feature is variable gain up to 72dB. I've used it with a MC that output a meager 0.14mv, and it sounded great. Played as loud as I wanted, with no step-up needed. And surprisingly little noise. It's sound is lively and spacious.
I have a RTS 405, a very serious broadcast MM pre with single-ended (RCA) and Balanced outs. I've only used the former. Internal layout is the most beautiful and perfect circuit board I've seen; and the metal case is welded together for rigidity. Sound is identical to a Krell PAM 7 preamp I had, the last preamp Krell made with a phono stage. Like Krell it's awesome in what it does, but like Krell lacks joie de vivre. I sometimes switch to it for a change of pace.
I have a Parasound Z, but only because it was $5 at a GW. It's competent. If it were my only phono preamp, I'd give up Vinyl. I keep it for testing if cartridges work — and to pass on to an enthusiastic newbie just getting into the game, when that person shows up.
I haven't had any of the newer designs. I tried the Bellari, took it back next day. I did have the Lehman, Phonomena (early versions) and a couple others I forget, but none were keepers.
Mostly I use one of three full-function preamps — DB Systems Audio, with perhaps the most accurate phono stage ever (MM only) — Luxman CL-34 all tube (MM only) — Tandberg (MM/MC), which has Mono switch and Rumble filter, both useful features, and 3 settings each for impedance and capacitance. The MM and MC stages are each entirely separate, complete phono preamps, not the usual MM stage with a switch that adds some op-amps or a transformer to boost a MC signal. A very good preamp for all sources, and Phono is spectacular.
When using the MM-only DB or Luxman with a MC, I use either an Audio Interface SUT (Jensen xformers) or a Thorens head-amp — the latter is more dynamic, the former more transparent. I favor the SUT because I love the sound of the Luxman and of the DB, and the SUT adds nothing to that sound, only gain. But I use the Thorens active head-amp when using a passive preamp, because it adds dynamics, which are reduced with the passive.
I have a RTS 405, a very serious broadcast MM pre with single-ended (RCA) and Balanced outs. I've only used the former. Internal layout is the most beautiful and perfect circuit board I've seen; and the metal case is welded together for rigidity. Sound is identical to a Krell PAM 7 preamp I had, the last preamp Krell made with a phono stage. Like Krell it's awesome in what it does, but like Krell lacks joie de vivre. I sometimes switch to it for a change of pace.
I have a Parasound Z, but only because it was $5 at a GW. It's competent. If it were my only phono preamp, I'd give up Vinyl. I keep it for testing if cartridges work — and to pass on to an enthusiastic newbie just getting into the game, when that person shows up.
I haven't had any of the newer designs. I tried the Bellari, took it back next day. I did have the Lehman, Phonomena (early versions) and a couple others I forget, but none were keepers.
Mostly I use one of three full-function preamps — DB Systems Audio, with perhaps the most accurate phono stage ever (MM only) — Luxman CL-34 all tube (MM only) — Tandberg (MM/MC), which has Mono switch and Rumble filter, both useful features, and 3 settings each for impedance and capacitance. The MM and MC stages are each entirely separate, complete phono preamps, not the usual MM stage with a switch that adds some op-amps or a transformer to boost a MC signal. A very good preamp for all sources, and Phono is spectacular.
When using the MM-only DB or Luxman with a MC, I use either an Audio Interface SUT (Jensen xformers) or a Thorens head-amp — the latter is more dynamic, the former more transparent. I favor the SUT because I love the sound of the Luxman and of the DB, and the SUT adds nothing to that sound, only gain. But I use the Thorens active head-amp when using a passive preamp, because it adds dynamics, which are reduced with the passive.
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Ah OK lol no worries, I know how you feel. So did you find what you wanted by looking at the inside of the Acession?.
Audiofreak71
It's a very good phono preamp. I have learned though that price alone and build quality doesn't always make a product great although most of the time if does. I have had high priced equipment sound like crap to my ears and they were built like tanks as well as cheaper equipment that seemed well cheap but sounded excellent to me. In this case the high price of the Acession and it being over built with a Seperate Torroidal power supply proved to be a very well made and exceptional sounding phono preamp. When I dive into MC I plan on buying The Elavator EXP MC preamp, very pleased with there products so far.
Audiofreak71
