Good Sounding Inexpensive Phono Preamp?

The current issue of HiFi+ magazine reviews 7 or 8 phono preamps, with a wide range of prices. Although the critiques are not in depth, they are useful and worth reading. The reviews cover the Project Phono Box, Rega Fono, Lehmann Audio Black Cube, GSP Audio Era Gold, Benz-Micro Lukaschek PP-1, Plinius Jarrah, Tom Evans Microgroove, and Trigon Vanguard.

The best sounding one I have had is the Clearaudio Micro Basic!! An incredible value with outboard power supply for around 300.00
Check out needledoctor.com
here is the link for the microbasic
http://www.needledoctor.com/app/site/site.nl/site.ACCT106601/mode.items/sc.2/category.401/it.A/id.917/.f
Happy listening!
Joe
Custom Audio LLC

I would go w/the Sumiko. Sounds excellent and is always powered up for optimal performance.

I have the Sumiko. Works great, no problem. I'll throw this in for good measure: they all sound the same!

Research the following company/products online (reviews @ TNT, etc.).

http://www.gspaudio.co.uk/index.htm

I'm really really happy with my Channel Islands (CI Audio) VPP-1. Audiogon user "underwoodwally" sells them - call for pricing (unit is under $300). It was an enormous improvement over the Parasound P/PH100 I used to own.

Those will all do the job. I think that you might also look at the Hagerman Bugle. It can be battery powered or with an optional power supply. Hagerman build some nice phono stages.

Creek also makes a decent phono preamp in this price range, and there is also a small unit from England called the Gram Amp which has gotten positive reviews. However, if your budget will stretch a bit, I'd explore buying a used Lehmann Audio Black Cube. The earlier versions of this phono preamp were quite highly regarded by a number of reviewers, and can be purchased used for around $300-350. (The newer SE version, with the expanded power supply, is a better unit, but costs about $250 more.)

Honesty compels me to say that I am not totally impartial here. I own the Black Cube SE, and have been extremely pleased with it. However, I think the Black Cube is better suited for use with either moving magnet cartridges (3-6 mV), or high output moving coils (in the 1 - 1.5 mV range).

For other ideas about phono preamps, you might go to the following link to Audio Advisor's Web site:
http://www.audioadvisor.com/store/categorylisting.asp?hdnCat=Phono+Preamps&sel=1&CategoryID=45