Back to vinyl need phono stage help!


Recently back in the vinyl game since the eighties! Sota sapphire VI>Origin Live silver>Hana EH. My backend is a Primaluna Evo 400>Pass Labs XA30.8>Ascend Acoustics towers. Musical tastes from Porcupine Tree to Loreena McKennitt!! Looking for phono stage help! Would take musical and dynamics over analytical any day of the week!! Sutherland KC vibe is what's been recommended to me. Price range would be around 1k to 1500. Of course there's always wiggle room lol!
Thanks✌️
jimfinn2112

Showing 1 response by audioguy85

Go with a Tavish design classic or vintage for about $700 to $800. Tubed phono stages designed and built in the USA. I use one for my hana el and it sounds great. However, I am using the hana through the MM section (full tube) via a jensen step up. Another choice is the pro-ject tube box ds2. It’s a super Tubed phono preamp with more adjustments than you will know what to do with, and all right there on the front panel! It sounds fabulous and is musical, not analytical. It’s about $900, but about $1100 with your choice of real wood side panels in walnut, rosewood, or eucalyptus. It has received numerous great reviews. Don’t let the pro-jec name steer you clear, it is a well designed preamp and will sound wonderful. I still own mine and will never sell it.
https://www.project-audio.com/en/product/tube-box-ds2/

https://tavishdesign.com/products/classic-vacuum-tube-phono-stage