Best Phono You've Heard Under $2200


Tube or SS, doesn't matter. Just want to know the best you've heard/owned.

gochurchgo

Showing 1 response by elliottbnewcombjr

I won’t part with my Vintage McIntosh Tube Tuner/Preamp mx110z, I love it’s MM phono, and use a SUT for my MC cartridges to keep using the mx110z’s Phono.

If it died, I would get another one without hesitation. You get terrific sounding phono (2 inputs), and everything else, the very helpful mode switch, a loudness contour if you listen at low volume, balance, terrific FM tuner (I listen to only one Jazz station). Most people have never heard really good FM.

Regrettably, they are getting more costly.

This one is in Canada, around $1,900. USD (seller would accept a bit less I suspect).

Seller will not ship, there is a solution for any ’local pickup only’ item:

You find the closest UPS to seller, pre-arrange with UPS, ask seller to simply drop un-boxed unit in your name, UPS packs and ships to you. You pay UPS directly.

I used my mx110z as-is for over a year, loved it, decided to have Audio Classics overhaul it. The most important thing they did, aside from replacing small stuff no longer in spec, was replace the rca jack panels with new gold plated ones. Prior to that, I cleaned the original corroded rca jacks up (not easy, they are close together), and used locking rca connectors as the old rca jacks are a spec undersized.

this convinced me to take a chance on one

https://positive-feedback.com/Issue77/vintage_mcintosh_experience.htm

features

http://www.berners.ch/McIntosh/en/MX110.htm