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Phono Stage, Built In vs. Stand Alone

B

bluepearl

Member
I'm shopping for a tube phono stage. My current preamp is line stage only so I am either going to purchase a dedicated phono stage to run with my current set-up or I am going to sell my current preamp and purchase a new line-stage / phono-stage preamp.

History tells me that dedicated purpose built components are always best, is this the case with a phono stage? Would the kind of phono stage built into a "high end" preamp be of the same caliber as a dedicated "high end" stand alone? Would the fact that a built in phono stage is hard wired into the preamp instead of IC cables give it the edge?

Feedback is appreciated.
 
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dedicated solid state phono preamps units are better. But it is my opinion that the built in preamp in a dynaco PAS2 or PAS3 is awesome. The dynaco PAS2 or PAS3x will cure your need for a tube phono stage and will give you a tube line stage as well. They are easy to work on as I am a newbie to tubes and I was able to update and get mine running in only a short time. I used to listen to solid state with a EQ with tubes they are long gone. I listen to it flat with a solid state AMP as my speakers are power hungry. The sound quality is incredible. Just my 2 cents.
 
what you're looking for here is the accuracy of the RIAA equalization,, signal to noise ratio/dynamic range, input impedance, output voltage and frequency responce. IMO
 
Also...

Are you happy with your existing pre for line level? If yes then go for a seperate phono answer. If, however, you want to upgrade generally then, IMHO, a pre with phono is the answer.

(Some designs with remote control have been accused of the phono section picking up interference from the remote section, esp volume)
 
maitai said:
Also...

Are you happy with your existing pre for line level? If yes then go for a seperate phono answer. If, however, you want to upgrade generally then, IMHO, a pre with phono is the answer.

(Some designs with remote control have been accused of the phono section picking up interference from the remote section, esp volume)
Click to expand...

:scratch2:I've never understood why folks get so picky about the possibility of tiny amounts of noise or distortion when you're adjusting the volume with a remote. You're making a change that takes a couple of seconds because you don't like the sound the way it is! (maitai, I'm not picking an argument with you, just making an observation about the minimalists among us.)
 
maitai said:
Also...

Are you happy with your existing pre for line level? If yes then go for a seperate phono answer. If, however, you want to upgrade generally then, IMHO, a pre with phono is the answer.

(Some designs with remote control have been accused of the phono section picking up interference from the remote section, esp volume)
Click to expand...

My Current line stage does a good job, I do see myself upgrading in the future. I've got my eye on a space-tech balanced tube line stage. I figured I would have more preamp options if I removed phono from the equation.

The purpose of my post was to determine which is better... I guess another benefit of a stand alone is a dedicated power supply..
 
it is unfortunate that phono stages in modern receivers are essentially an afterthought (a rather poor sounding afterthought). higher-priced receivers (such as the Outlaw RR-2150) have excellent phono stages. i have the RR-2150 and am very pleased with the phono stage. i also have an Adcom preamp with (again) an excellent phono stage. both the Outlaw and the Adcom have remotes, but i never use them.

all this aside, and as pleased as i am with the phono stages of the above mentioned, a dedicated outboard phono preamp would be the best option....and you don't have to spend a fortune. NAD makes the excellent PP-2, and Parasound has a phono preamp in their "Z" series of components - the Z-Phono. both of these are under $200. if you want something more moderately priced, the Musical Fidelity X-LPs is an excellent choice for around $500.
 
javelin79 said:
dedicated solid state phono preamps units are better.
Click to expand...

What makes you say that?

Like everything else, it depends on what models we're talking about. What kind of money are you looking to spend? I think you have the right idea about independent components being best when that's possible, and I feel it's especially true when it comes to phono preamps. I don't believe in using phono inputs on receivers, I don't care how good they are (iLUVanalog please note I own the 2150 too, you're right, the phono stage is not bad), this is something that ultimately should be handled by a dedicated component IMO.

After all this time the biggest upgrade I've ever made to my system remains the Wright 200C tube phono preamp that I currently use. If you have the budget I'd say go for a separate tube unit.
 
Ditto - Dave. It depends. There are wonderful tube phono stages. There are very nice SS ones too.

What's you budget. In this game you get what you pay for. The biggest feature draw for me is not the amp stages (tube or SS), but the ability to load the phono cartridge with a switchable selection of capacitance and inductance. If you can't vary the load, you might as well use a receiver?
 
Bellari. No sales pitch , no theory 'proving' my opinion. Go hear one , check the cost:bank balance ratio.
 
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