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Recommendation on Phono Pre-amp

Looks very cool. Definitley great satisfaction and fun to build soemthing like that, and to have it sound as good or better than high dollar ones.
 
I recommend the SOTA PYXY. The performance is way. way above it's price. It, along with the Audio Technica AT540ML phono cartridge transformed my system. The best two audio investments I've made in years.
 
MisterDK said:
I think nobody needs a $79 tube phono preamp - ever. I foolishly bought a little bear t7 to try.. Worst sounding phono preamp I’d heard; pure junk.

IF your upper spending limit is $300- then the Sota Pyxi seems the obvious choice for a new unit.. The Schiit Skoll costs $100 more than the Pyxi, sounds very good, has plenty of adjustability for gain and cartridge loading - and is remotely controlled. It’s also 25% over your budget, @mphCO … BTW - since you have a P-mount cartridge, I suspect that your cartridge is a MM or MI, not MC.

You may want to check out the current version of the Schiit Mani. It’s well within budget and supposedly sounds very good.
With $300 to spend though, Sota Pyxi deserves a close look… If you can swing another $100 - seriously consider Schiit’s Skoll.
I currently have a Skoll but actually prefer the sound of my DIY, 834 clone - tube phono pre.. Cost of a pre-built one of those goes for around the budgeted $300. Very nice sounding, straight out of the box and easily modified to sound even better.

TUBES, BABY!! - Anyway, a couple here to consider…. :)
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I can attest to the new Mani; I use mine consistently with my Pioneer PL 530 TT and into my 50w/chnl integrated amp. Sounds great with all of my various cartridges.
 
mphCO said:
I've recently dusted off my old Technics SL-Q350 and enjoed listening to it for a bit. But now I've also acquired a McIntosh MHT200 which I'm using instead of my Yamaha RX-V1400. The Yamaha had phono inputs, but the Mac doesn't; so I need to get an external phono pre-amp.

I did a little search but didn't find anything real recent. I'm not sure if I have a MM or MC cartridge but seems it might be a good idea to get a preamp that supports both. Or, which is better. It's a P mount currently with a Stanton Studio PP. Not looking to break the bank but want it to be decent. So maybe $250 +/- $50. In some basic looking I saw a Cambridge Audio Duo ($299), but also ran across a Fosi Audio Box X2 Tube preamp for $79, only for MM. But at that price could buy another for MC if needed (?).

Appreciate any suggestions or advice.
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HI.
A fossi is a good option to start with, then get more educated about the topic and decide. The fossi is an hybrid phono preamp for MM/MI sound good if the rest of your gear is well set up. IMO dont spend much more, for something you probably will replace in a short run.

Cheers from Fla.
Andre.
 
@adnick - Andy, I know that you’ve built a few of the 834 clones. Do you still have this one?


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This one looks really cool, I think! BTW - what is the lighter color wood on it? I still have another of the chokes and Antek transformer… I’m tempted to start on another one already.. ;)
 
MisterDK said:
@adnick - Andy, I know that you’ve built a few of the 834 clones. Do you still have this one?


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This one looks really cool, I think! BTW - what is the lighter color wood on it? I still have another of the chokes and Antek transformer… I’m tempted to start on another one already.. ;)
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Duane:


Yeah thanks, that one was built for my personal use, it’s full of high quality parts, and haven’t let anyone talk me into selling it yet (-; the light colored wood is spalted mulberry or hackberry, power supply is in a metal box.


Andy
 
Best High End phono preamplifier I've ever owned is the Acurus P10.

MM/MC with amazing performance.

There is one on ebay right now for 299 plus 25$ shipping.

Bought a backup P10 just in case mine dies. Super quiet, Tons of gain, Built in loading.

Picture of the inside. All discrete components, Beautiful compact design.

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Used with the turntable I built...
YNiyaPw.jpeg
 
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@adnick sure builds out some fine-lookin, high performance EAR clones. i got one. i used mine every day til i plugged my cd player outputs into its inputs and blew something in one side.
 
ceylon said:
@adnick sure builds out some fine-lookin, high performance EAR clones. i got one. i used mine every day til i plugged my cd player outputs into its inputs and blew something in one side.
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Ceylon:

Thanks for the kind words….Need to see if we can remotely figure out what’s wrong, probably not catastrophic;-)


Andy
 
mphCO said:
I did a bunch of reading and it was between the SOTA Pixie, Cambridge Alva Duo or Solo, and the Schiit Mani 2.
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I know the options are limited for going into a shop to see and hear audio gear, so this is how a lot of buying decisions are made these days. But really, you simply get swayed by the people who shout loudest on whichever forum you're on. On one forum there may be a favourite which is ranked as the greatest thing since sliced bread, whereas on a different forum that same piece is totally unknown or dismissed out of hand.
But what's the alternative? :dunno:
 
adnick said:
Ceylon:

Thanks for the kind words….Need to see if we can remotely figure out what’s wrong, probably not catastrophic;-)


Andy
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thanks buddy. im in trasit now, but i hope to be sittin still soon. ill drop u a line later this month.
 
ceylon said:
@adnick sure builds out some fine-lookin, high performance EAR clones. i got one. i used mine every day til i plugged my cd player outputs into its inputs and blew something in one side.
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hi,
you connected a CD into a phono pre amp? IMO you shouldn't CD signal are way stronger than phono carts.
AG.
 
rothwellaudio said:
I know the options are limited for going into a shop to see and hear audio gear, so this is how a lot of buying decisions are made these days. But really, you simply get swayed by the people who shout loudest on whichever forum you're on. On one forum there may be a favourite which is ranked as the greatest thing since sliced bread, whereas on a different forum that same piece is totally unknown or dismissed out of hand.
But what's the alternative? :dunno:
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True, and you've got to start somewhere. I look(ed) at many different sources (reviews, forums, etc) and when there is a clear consensus it pops out at you. And in this case there are a quite a few choices, none that are necessarily wrong. So I try to make the best risk/value based decision and try not to get too caught up in analysis paralyis. This is my first phono pre-amp and is part of a larger journey into this hobby.
 
So, I received the Mani 2 last week and set it up. Ended up adjusting the gain just a little from the factory settings. Was needing to turn up volume way to high just for normal listening.

Since this is my first phono pre-amp, I can't really give any objective critique on it, other than it is quiet and does what it is supposed to do. Some albums sound better than others. But it's a hodgepodge of old vinyl of differing conditions. And it may expose other weaknesses in the system either directly related to the turntable as source (cartridge?) or other things like speakers. I've been going back and forth wondering if my speaker crossover have degraded and need a recap (purchased originally in 2001 or so).



Thanks again for the recommendations and discussion.
 
mphCO said:
And it may expose other weaknesses in the system either directly related to the turntable as source (cartridge?) or other things like speakers. I've been going back and forth wondering if my speaker crossover have degraded and need a recap
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And so it begins! My entire system is the result of a cartridge upgrade that got out of hand. Enjoy the ride!

And congrats on the Mani.
 
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