The Musical Fidelity V-LPS is very good. I owned the Musical Surroundings Phonomena I, and think its better. I would go for the Jolida JD-9A if it were my purchase. It can be upgraded with different tubes and mods. Plus you can probably find a used one for sale. Good luck.
Entry Level Turntable-- Preamp Matching
I got my first turntable about 6 months ago, a Rega RP1, to kick off my new-found hi-fi habit. Next thing I got was a a Musical Fidelity V-LPS to replace the built-in phono stage on the receiver I was using.
I've upgraded to an Exposure 2010s integrated since then and got the upgrade package with Bias 2 cartridge for the RP1, but still the most noticeable upgrade in my system has been that V-LPS. No other change has opened the sound up or made as huge a difference as a new phono preamp.
So now I'm thinking, if $100 got me that big a jump, what could I get for $500? $1000? I've started poking around preamps in that range, a used PS Audio GCPH, Graham Slee Era Gold V, or Musical Surroundings Phonomena II.
So my question is, would it be foolish to get a preamp of that caliber and feed it with an upgraded RP1? They would give a lot of "growing room," which is important to me, but I plan on sticking with my RP1 for a few years yet and don't want to blow money on quality I'll never hear because my TT isn't up to it. Could something a little more modest like a Jolida JD-9A, Graham Slee Gram Amp 3 or Pro-Ject Tube Box be a better "match?"
I've upgraded to an Exposure 2010s integrated since then and got the upgrade package with Bias 2 cartridge for the RP1, but still the most noticeable upgrade in my system has been that V-LPS. No other change has opened the sound up or made as huge a difference as a new phono preamp.
So now I'm thinking, if $100 got me that big a jump, what could I get for $500? $1000? I've started poking around preamps in that range, a used PS Audio GCPH, Graham Slee Era Gold V, or Musical Surroundings Phonomena II.
So my question is, would it be foolish to get a preamp of that caliber and feed it with an upgraded RP1? They would give a lot of "growing room," which is important to me, but I plan on sticking with my RP1 for a few years yet and don't want to blow money on quality I'll never hear because my TT isn't up to it. Could something a little more modest like a Jolida JD-9A, Graham Slee Gram Amp 3 or Pro-Ject Tube Box be a better "match?"