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
+1 on the ZP3. I don’t own the other phono stages mentioned here to compare, but I have compared it against a Pro-Ject tube box DS-2 and a custom mono unit. The tube box is very analytical in comparison.  The ZP3 was the least fussy piece of equipment I ever purchased. Line in, line out, no buttons or switches required. It’s very quiet, even with my 1941 NOS tube rectifier. I test for noise at 4x listening level and there’s nothing. It’s great for tube rolling - it uses very common tubes. I believe it uses the same tubes as the inputs on your Prima Luna - 12au7 and 12ax7 - so you can save some $ and have more options. I run it with an RCA 1954 5814 3mica black plate and 2 KenRad 12ax7s from ‘51. Some may be turned off by both channels sharing the first tube. It soars through stereo test records and I listen to so much mono it never really bothered me.
I also have ascend acoustics sierra towers (with raal ribbons). Just upgraded from moon 110 LP v2 phono preamp to PS audio stellar phono preamp. Did it due to Fremer's unusual all in review of that product. WOW!
The difference is startling. I got a VPI Classic 1 TT with Kleos cart and super low capacitance 3 ft blue Jeans rca phono cables (12.2 of per ft). I played with the custom ohms setting and at 400 ohms the sound is unbelievable, solid yet incredibly clear without too much brightness. I can only highly recommend the PS audio stellar phono preamp. And at $2,499, they gave me a $399 discount for trading in the moon.
@devildog 2nd the Gold Note PH10 but retail is 1600 although bought mine new for under 1300. At it's price or even double it can't be beat.
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I use the Gold Note PH-10. Great flexible phono stage for around $1,500.00. You can also connect two turntables to it. No dip switches to fiddle around with and the musicality is pretty darn excellent. Add the PSU -10 separate power supply for another $1,100 and you’ve got a heck of a combination. Although, the PH- 10 sounds good on its own.
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Sutherland phono stages usually have high output impedance that makes them sometimes difficult to match with preamp. Preamp's input impedance should be about ten times higher than phono preamp's output impedance, if I remember right. Or more.

Your cartridge is an High Output cart so you will not need a step up transformer as it is not Lo Output.

So you can use the Decware or Icon tubed phono stages to achieve the Dynamics you are seeking and in that price range.


My choice in your price range is the Decware ZP3 https://www.decware.com/newsite/ZP3.htm 
If your Hana output is high enough you might be able to get away with running it direct. They have some step-ups with a really cool infinitely adjustable loading feature that allows you to fine tune sound on the fly. Downside is ordering time is long and if you need the SUT it will blow out your budget. But from what I can tell it would be worth it. Lifetime guarantee, and they do exchanges on the SUT. oldhvymec just ordered and is waiting on his, others around here have reviews, search around and see.