Best phono preamp in the $ 1000 to $ 2000 range ?

I have owned a Vacuum State JLTi w/power supply for several years and still enjoy it. The one thing I wish it had were adjustable gain settings, but it does sound good to me.

I have considered a Pass XONO and a Cullen modified PS Audio GCPH. All three should be <$2000 used.

Unfortunately the Pass takes up more room than I have on my rack and the Cullen does not come up often.

Good luck with your search!

Regards,
Todd

I should say I wanted the adjustable gain settings for doing needle-drops. I ended up getting an E-MU 1616 which has a preamp so problem solved.

I use the JLTi with a Dynavector XX-2 MKII, Shelter 501 MKII, and a Denon-304 with great results.

Regards,
Todd

Would you recommend the JLTi standalone or allways in the company of the external PSU ?

I have only used the JLTI without the power supply a few times. From what I remember the highs seemed to be more prominent and it sounded thinner with less weight.

It could be that changing the loading would help or depending on the rest of the system (dark sounding) it might be better.

I think you should be able to find one with the power supply used for ~$1200-1400 maybe less. Shipping a SS unit that is this small is relatively risk free and you save yourself the wear on your cartridge while burning it in.

They are not that rare just watch for one over the next few months spring is a good time to buy.

Regards,
Todd