I basically just gave you my life story what other information could you possibly need?
EAR Phonobox = HORRIBLE
I just put one of these in my system. I can't believe how bad it sounds. I must be doing something wrong?? It sounds like someone put a blanket over my speaker. Sounds is recessed, muffled, rolled off, no highs, no sparkle. Dead and drab. No frequency range.
I was using the phonostage on the PS Audio Sprout which is a $700 integrated and that sounded 100 times better.
My DAC through the system knocks it out of the park. I can't believe it's supposed to sound this way. What could be going wrong????
1. Cart = Clearaudio Performer V2
2. Phonostage = EAR Phonobox
3. Preamp = PS Audio Stellar Gold Preamp
4. Amp = Carver 1.0T (heavily modified)
5. Speakers = KEF LS50
Cable Mix of Kimber/Audioquest mid level
Any thoughts????
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- 15 posts total
A few thoughts, but I’m just throwing spit on the wall abscent any further info. First, your cartridge is a moving magnet, is it possible that it is connected to the moving coil input of the phono pre? There is a button on the back that is marked MM/MC and it should be in the MM position. This would absolutely explain it. Have you put 20, or so, hours of use on the phono preamp? Also, the input impedance of your preamp is 50K ohms and the lab test below, indicates the output impedance of the phono pre varies up to 6.4K though only on the bass. Although close, this diverges from the accepted 1:10 ratio. In my experience, 1:20 is actually preferred for optimizing dynamics. Normally, an impedance mismatch would roll off the bass and squash dynamics, but audible effects can vary quite a bit. Although an interesting possibility, I don't think this is what is at play here. The output of your cartridge is well matched to the gain of the phono pre, so IMHO that is not it. Another thought, often a clearer component can allow us to hear previously obscured details in the source. Is it possible that your phonograph cartridge is not optimally aligned, particularly the VTA/SRA? I find it quite telling that you list all of your components with the exception of the phonograph and tonearm, so your touching life story is rather short on the detail that Lew was asking for. No? https://www.hifinews.com/content/ear-phonobox-phono-mmmc-preamplifier-lab-report |
Thank you very much for all the thought you put into this. First in my personal opinion I don't think my clear audio turntable and matching arm would drastically change the sound of my system from great to horrible so I didn't bother to mention it but it's worth a shot.
I just assumed that any issue I was having with a sound would likely come from the new component that I introduced in the system which was the phono stage..
Anywho you may have something there in your thought process that you're phono box comes with a volume control I did have it set to moving magnet and had the volume at 75% on a whim I changed the configuration to moving coil and brought the volume up to about 98% and it sounds so much better I wonder what's going on though |
- 15 posts total