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Phono Pre Upgrade from Clearaudio Nano V1?

C

Cpr1979

New Member
Hi All,

I am considering upgrading my phone pre

I have had several budget phono pre

Hagerman Bugle
Cambridge 640P
Clearaudio Nano V1

I just purchased a Rogue Sphinx V2 and am running a Technics SL1210 with a Denon DL110

I am considering a Ray Samuel’s Nighthawk or something with adjustable gain

Is there something under $1k that you feel was a significant step up from the Nano?

Or should I just use the Sphinx phono and roll some tubes in the pre amp?
 
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The Nighthawk is well reviewed. May I also suggest the latest Dynavector P75 MkIV. The latest MkIV incorporates a number of upgrades over prior versions, notably an upgraded ultra low noise power supply. These improvements take what was an already solid product to a next level.
 
Musical Surroundings Phonomena II - bought it used here. Highly configurable. Big step up from the Pro-ject Tube Box S I was using, and I was pretty happy with that. Always looking to check others out so I have the Phonomena II.
 
I have considered the DIY. Should I give the phon in the Sphinx a chance? Same as in the Cronos Magnum II.

Does anyone have experience with this Phono vs some of the others listed above?

How about the Sim Audio 110LP V2?

Would you go Nighthawk or Sim?
 
I'm still absolutely thrilled with my Sutherland KC Vibe ($900). It's a scaled down version of their venerable high end pre's that utilizes many of the same high quality parts. It has a beefy 48 v power supply and excellent AC filtering. As you can see from the photo, it's a dual mono symmetrical layout like all of their stuff. If it adds any color at all, it's not perceptible. So if you're looking for some old school tube warmth or FET style distortion, this isn't the one to get.

I didn't see you mention which cartridge you're using, but the KC vibe can handle most everything with ease. It works great with my low output moving iron Grado Master 2 which is a difficult cartridge to drive since it only has 1mv output but requires 47 k ohm load setting. Finding a pre with 50 and 60 db gain settings and 47 k ohm load is not easy, so for me, this was an obvious choice.

Clean, clean, clean. Did I mention that it's a superbly clean sounding preamp? Love it. Can't imagine how their higher end pre's could improve on what I'm hearing, but I may need a Lyra or Koetsu in order to hear the difference. I'm using a VPI Prime Scout with 3D arm into a Yammie A-S801 and a pair of BW 705's with a REL Ti/7 sub. Pure bliss.

IMG_0297.jpg _DSC3299.jpg
 
Cpr1979 said:
Hi All,

I am considering upgrading my phone pre

I have had several budget phono pre

Hagerman Bugle
Cambridge 640P
Clearaudio Nano V1

I just purchased a Rogue Sphinx V2 and am running a Technics SL1210 with a Denon DL110

I am considering a Ray Samuel’s Nighthawk or something with adjustable gain

Is there something under $1k that you feel was a significant step up from the Nano?

Or should I just use the Sphinx phono and roll some tubes in the pre amp?
Click to expand...

What type of changes are you looking for?

Shelly_D
 
I like that setup! Your phono is as much as your integrated!

I’m using a Denon DL110 in an SL1200

Thinking I may compare the built in phono against the Nano I have then go from there.

I am wanting to add more air to the sound

The Rogue Sphinx has a very immediate sound and want to warm it up and give it slightly more extension
 
Cpr1979 said:
I like that setup! Your phono is as much as your integrated!

I’m using a Denon DL110 in an SL1200

Thinking I may compare the built in phono against the Nano I have then go from there.

I am wanting to add more air to the sound

The Rogue Sphinx has a very immediate sound and want to warm it up and give it slightly more extension
Click to expand...

Warmth with air. A pair of tube powered Pultec style EQ's would do that very nicely! But that's overkill, so maybe a pre with a SS front end and a tube output stage. I'm using a Tube Box DS with my mono setup. It's phenomenal how it brings out the low bass captured on the AAA reissue records by the Beatles, Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield etc. And it's wonderful on mono jazz recordings as well. I had it on my main system for a couple of years and the tube stage is very well voiced. Not too tubby or over the top, and very little audible tube distortion. It's a cool device. Project stopped making them for awhile when they introduced their new lineup, but they are available again for $400. It can be configured for low output moving iron like the Sutherland, which is why I purchased it initially.

IMG_0172.jpg 71tmCm18E0L._SL1500_.jpg
 
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