CJ PV10A phono section: Repair or buy separate?


I have a Conrad Johnson PV10A that I like quite a bit with some effort invested in improving the caps, diode bridge and power connection to remedy the complaints against the stock PV10A. However Stereophiles complaint of phono section noise I could never fix and over the last year 1 channel is now badly noisy. Right now I can play LP's on the phono section of the Prima Luna integrated but that's unsatisfying compared to the CJ even with a noisy channel.

So my question is this; does it make sense to seek repair of the CJ phono section or would I be better off investing in something like the Vincent PHO-8? The cartridge I use is Grado reference platinum, may replace with a Dynavector high output MC.
davide256

Showing 1 response by dougdeacon

I concur with Microstrip. My PV11A is as satisfying as anything new I've heard up to several times what it's worth.

Other possible culprits include a dirty/worn tube socket or a bad solder joint. Start by swapping the phono stage tubes and see if the noise changes sides. If you're lucky...