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Stand-alone phono pre's: what are you running and what's it like?

fiddlefye

fiddlefye

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What are you running? SS? Tube?

A year or so back I finally took the plunge and added an Opera Consonance PM-1 tube phono stage to my set up. Until then I'd been using the phono stages in one integrated amp or preamp or another. They sounded very good, especially the Yamaha C-4 but the PM-1 was a quantum leap forward in every way. Much more detail and clearer, deeper soundstage and simply more presence. The bottom end is also quite astounding.

If I have one slight caveat it is that it can be a bit "hot" with some LPs and I'd like to replace the Jan Phillips tubes with something a bit warmer, preferably current issue and not too pricey. Suggestions welcome!
 
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I am running a Parasound PPH-100. It's by far the weakest link in my system. It has mechanical noise emitting from the box. The power supply is built in and causes low level hum. The midrange is terrible "honky" sounding and the highs are shrill. Needless to say, I am in the market for a new phono stage and will be watching this thread very closely...
 
clydeselsor said:
I am running a Parasound PPH-100. It's by far the weakest link in my system. It has mechanical noise emitting from the box. The power supply is built in and causes low level hum. The midrange is terrible "honky" sounding and the highs are shrill. Needless to say, I am in the market for a new phono stage and will be watching this thread very closely...
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I too am hoping to get some good impressions of what's out there. Over time many units have had mention, but it would be nice to have them all in one place. So many choices, so hard to get to hear them. I really took a shot in the dark with my PM-1 as it was going for a song and what did I have to lose? Not maybe the best way to go about auditioning things, but it's working out really well anyway.
 
DB Systems DB-8 in my second system. It's a pretty nice, fairly budget conscious stand-alone SS pre and I like it a lot. You can order it to match your cart, as well as with a few gain options, power supply upgrades, etc. Mine has a bit of added gain over stock, which is how the previous owner had it. It was knocked out of my main system by the phono section of my modern Marantz preamp, and I'm currently in the market for something even a bit better than that, though I don't know what that's going to be. That it was knocked out by the phono section of my pre is not meant as a knock on it- it's very nice and stood up to everything else I had before it. I have an NAD PP-2 and Belara VP-129 as well. Not a fan of the Bellari at all, but the NAD is a neat little unit for what it cost. Certainly sounds better than the phono sections of a lot of receivers.
 
G'day all, I build all my stand alone DIY phono stages. My reference DIY phono stage for (moving magnet cartridges) is this one (the ESP P06) along with the P99 sub bass filter. http://sound.westhost.com/project06.htm
http://sound.westhost.com/project99.htm and the ESP P05B power supply to power them.

I've heard nothing better. They give clean, high definition, low noise and low distortion audio with accurate RIAA equalisation from a moving magnet cartridge source . :thmbsp: Regards, Felix aka catman.
 
Just purchased a Graham Slee Era Gold X, phono stage and a Graham Slee Elevator EXP. (That’s a mouthful) The Elevator mates a low output cartridge with the phono stage.

These units need 72 hours to warm up and sound their best. Serious listening has started but being Sunday I’ve been constantly interrupted.

Not going into details here, but details is what I’m hearing. The most surprising difference is not a sound; it’s the emotion that is now present. The artistry of a singer’s phrasing or the play of instruments within an arrangement is simply, conveyed. The bass at first seems lacking, but within a short time I realized the lows were just so much cleaner then before. Highs do not decay, they just fad off. The sound stage; now I understand the term ‘Bloom’, there is just so much ‘Air’ (another term now understood) around the instruments or singers.

Actually, I do not want to touch, disturb or change anything in the front end, for fear of losing this new synergy.

If you’re interested, the Grahams replaced a modified Cambridge 640P, and more recently a Bryston step up transformer, plugged into an Audio Research SP-9’s phono input.

Very pleased.
 
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Musical Fidelity AC-1, a moving coil phono preamplifier for a boost to the phono stage so not a true stand alone but these things sound great. One is in use with a couple different MC into an ARC SP-3A phono stage and the other goes into an SP-9 phono stage since I loaned it to Tom. He has found the quality of the MC cartridges with this unit and an Ortofon MC-20.

I have yet to evaluate the Crown Module A and Module B which are phono MM and MC to line level amps. I liked them but I haven't compared them to the AC-1.
 
2 different ones

Main system a Hagerman Bugle.
Office system a VAC in the Box from Audio Alchemy.
I posted a thread with a comparison of the two of them, a Parasound PPH-100 and the one built in my Rotel last month somewhere here in the TT forum.
 
luvvinvinyl said:
What tubes does the Consonance use, that you seek candidates for 'rolling'?
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They're 12AX7, pretty standard phono stage tubes I think. The ones in there are Jan Phillips. I had some of that variety in my PV-12 and found them to be of the same character there as well. I found some nice NOS tubes that Dennis had lying about to use there, but no 12AX7's.
 
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Dynavector P75mkII (SS) for MC

Jolida JD9 (tube) for MM

I would NOT recommend buying a new P75... They pop up used for 1/2 price but you have to be quick

JD9 is a bargain even at new prices then up grade it for 200.00 more. It sings
 
Are you running any silver wire? I never found the Jan Phillips to be that 'hot' compared to, say, a Tele. Copper IC and speaker cable before I would start swapping tubes I didn't have.

That said, the OS names include Sylvania, GE, and, of course, Mullard ($$$), to increase warmth. Less prevalent, around here, is Brimar, but very good. You might want to look at some '60s Japanese tubes, like Matsushita. Less expensive, and solid performer. There are many others, as well, and all the 'rebadged' tubes.

I can loan you a pair of Sylvies or GEs, if you'd like to try them.
 
Hagtech (Hagerman) "Bugle" here. I don't think there's anything better at near the price (or even far above it), although having said that, Felix the Catman's ESP unit may give it a run for the money. I keep thinking I should order the boards and then do a comparison.

Best Regards,
TerryO
 
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I run a Lehman Black Cube, and have a Seduction, waiting in the wings, that needs the loading adjusted.
 
Two different one`s here a Cambridge 640P for my MM. And a Jolida JD9a modified with damping material, a set of Baldwin greens with the metal covers removed and a set of Clarity caps in place of the Original cheaper output caps. And does she Sing!
 
Cambridge Audio 640P's with various upgrades, they ran off all my other phono stages. Easily beat out a very nice Pro-Ject Tube Box II.
 
luvvinvinyl said:
Are you running any silver wire? I never found the Jan Phillips to be that 'hot' compared to, say, a Tele. Copper IC and speaker cable before I would start swapping tubes I didn't have.

That said, the OS names include Sylvania, GE, and, of course, Mullard ($$$), to increase warmth. Less prevalent, around here, is Brimar, but very good. You might want to look at some '60s Japanese tubes, like Matsushita. Less expensive, and solid performer. There are many others, as well, and all the 'rebadged' tubes.

I can loan you a pair of Sylvies or GEs, if you'd like to try them.
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I'm running Brimars in the PV12 and love them, clean detailed so sweet. I think they came from Roger's lot of stuff. I'll digest your thoughts, have a look at what's with the wiring. The SME 3009 on the Ariston is all original in that respect, though the leads out have been re-done recently. Hmmmm....
 
Monolithic PS1 with a HB-1 dual mono power supply. The only mod I've done is to replace the stock opamps with Burr Brown OPA627 chips. I love it, clean, clear, and dynamic as they come. I wish it had a bit more gain so I could run a DL-S1.
 
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