I find phono stages to be the hardest thing to research. Not a lot of reviews and a lot of amazing options
Great phono stage, with character, for a digital pre
I have been trying out a NAD M12 and M23 setup which is really nice! For my turntable I have a Sota Saphire VI with an Audiomod tonearm and a Dynavector Karat 17D2 MK II. My current phono stage does not wow me much (McIntosh MP100). Since the analog signal is going in and being digitized right away I was looking at other stages that may be warmer and give music that analog sound still. So looking for recommendations for a stage with character , $2500 budget, and I listen to classical, jazz, and rock.
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Don't take my comments as a negative. I do not lean toward a Rich Presentation where there is a perception to my sensitivities to the Bass Frequencies as being Warm. I am happy to experience a Perception of Richness that leans away from a perception of being transparent. Your description of a sonic that is to be experienced suggests that there is a wish to have something that will soften the impact of the delivery of sound. This could be achieved by the Speaker, but could also prove to be the most costly, and if achieved through a Cabinet Speaker the coloration from the Cabinet that is detectable to some sensitivities, might not be overlooked and always a repellent and not wanted. Approaching the change of sonic from the Phonostage end, will be a period of Trial. A Valve Phono Pre' will supply a Harder or Softer Edge, depending on the Valves chosen in the circuit. The use of Valves will also enable a simplistic method to change the sonic, as the exchanges are relatively easy to achieve by a user of a device. A Valve Phono Pre' that I am quite familiar with for more than 20 Years and have not owned is the EAR 834P, this in my encounters of it as a Original Spec' and Clone Build has been a Warm Presentation, quite a few increments beyond what I would class as Rich in Presentation. Another Phono Pre' I have been demonstrated that has shown a overly Rich Presentation, bordering on Warm, in the system it was demonstrated in is the Modwright SE 9.0. This Phon' got my attention and I could not think of anything better to try in the Home System through my ESL Speakers playing Chicago Blues music. Again the MM Stage is able to be Tube Rolled to an individuals taste and unique preference. Keep in mind a Standalone SUT will add a hint of Richness to the point of being detectable as Warm. There are recent posts on here about SUT's and how owners of models perceived the presentation. This might be a very simple solution to the requirement you are investigating. Before any of the above is put in Place, I would try out a D.U.C.C Wire Cable in 6N or 7N Purity. These Cables are extremely clean/revealing and allow a substantial amount of information to be rendered that other Wire in Cables fail to manifest. In relation to other Wire such as PC Triple C, used for Cables that have similar capacity to be clean/revealing and render detail that is not commonly encountered, the D.U.C.C has a hint of Richness, there is a perception of a weight added to a Vocal Bass Note and Wood Wind Instrument when in use. I would recommend D.U.C.C Wire as Cable to anybody wanting to discover a little meat on the bones and not smear or destroy the micro details from a recording.
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You sound like you want something warm and definitively vinyl. As such I think that the ideal phono stage would be an EAR 834P. I've seen some quite esoteric systems having that as a phono option due to its warmth and unashamedly vinyl sound. I wish I had not sold mine as it was the kind of stage you can listen to for ages. |
@tomic601 it is, but it's so amazingly good! |
'Richness is in the Ear of the Beholder' There is no knowing where there cut off point is for it to be an unwelcome presence. I laid out a selection of methods to increase the presence of Richness being perceived during a Replay I have mentioned the Two Phonostages I have heard and can comment on as having a Experience of them in use. These are the Top of the suggestions for injecting a Richness through to Warm. It is possibly the most expensive of the suggestions and might be too much, of a influence and not too enjoyed as sonic influence as the outcome. One of my suggestions is seemingly being recognised as a contender for its overbearing presence of a Valves influence. More importantly, I know that these Models can be sourced in the US, within Budget. My thought process with knowledge of the impact of certain ancillaries, would be to have Two Pairs of the Cables suggested by myself. ( Audiomods Arms can be supplied with Through Wire - Cart' to RCA in Silver Litz, in this case a DIN>RCA Cable is possibly not able ti be used). Use one Cable Pair between Phono Pre > Digital Pre, this might prove enough of a injection of richness and hone the edges. Adding the SUT, if the SUT model with a Richer Impact is selected, (suggest Copper Windings), the Richness on offer will undoubtedly hone a harshness and soften the edges. (Note: A Short Cable Length is best when used between SUT and Phonostage). A Trial usage period might be able to be arranged, with a SUT on Standby to get the full range of interfaces, i.e, Phon's MC Stage > Suggested Cable >Digital Pre', SUT > Suggested Cable > Phon's MM Stage > Suggested Cable > Digital Pre', these configurations will be useful to discover if the MP 100 is capable to deliver the presentation the OP is looking for. If the MP 100 can be worked with to function at a level that is more to the OP's taste, it can be used to produce FLAC Files of the Vinyl LP's so this is advantageous, to somebody wanting to have Digitised Replays as well. Having an alternative Phon' available, especially one that is Valve and a already suggested model, will be the antithesis to the Phon' in use and will offer a complete new presentation in the realms of being Rich>Warm. Only the 'ears of the beholder' will determine where there is real attraction discovered and wanted to be maintained. |
Why not buy the NAD pair which you like? HiFi electronics are not supposed to have "character." They are supposed to pass an electric signal from one end to the other unscathed except for amplification. Any character they possess is distortion. Leave the character up to the musicians. The vast majority of the "character"/distortion a system has is coming from the speaker/room. Now it is a matter of choosing your poison or perhaps stumbling over it. |
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truth there as well…. That and frankly most Dynavector are “ truth tellers “….. not unusual for people to “ warm them up “ in a variety of ways…… the SOTA while also pretty neutral leans warm imo…. @simao I agree, wish the Herron was still in production..used examples are very desirabe….i dont plan on replacing mine anytime soon. Having said that my other phono is an ARC REF phono 2 se…… blessed i know… enjoy the music. Jim |
@tomic601 Keith Herron lives literally right up the road from me. |