@boothroyd , you forgot the Channel D Lino C which can be ordered stripped or with both MM and voltage mode MC inputs and a bunch of other stuff. It is one of the very quietest phono stages going operating on a battery power supply that charges itself after hours.
Help.... I'm scared to 'upgrade'!
Help…. I’m scared to ‘upgrade’!
I’m an unrepentant audiophile. I love equipment; buttons, knobs, dials, beautiful design, meters. Of course, I’m enthralled by music. It’s a deeply enriching and important part of my life. This makes me the perfect mark for spending way too much money on gear. I know that, oh well. So I want to upgrade from my cheap phono-stage but I’m full of doubt and hesitation. Let me explain….
I have what I consider a pretty great system, the heart of which is an Accuphase E-470. My speakers are a pair of ATC HTS-40’s (same drivers and specs as the SCM 40’s), and a pair of JL Audio D-110’s. Streaming is through a Bluesound NODE and an RME ADI DAC 2 fs. Mostly that great digital front end is used for TV and podcasts. When I settle down to really listen to music it’s through my analog front-end. That’s what this post is about.
I’ve had four or five phono-stages over the years and in fact I just sold a very nice all-tube one for $4,200. It simply wasn’t as quiet as the AD-50 input board installed in my E-470. I want all of those ‘audiophiley’ qualities like a holographic soundstage, magical midrange etc., but those have to emerge from an extremely quiet background and with extra high resolution. That’s why I sold a Parasound JC 3+ years ago because of too much hiss. And it was easy to sell a Rega Aria because that thing was great at generating it’s OWN noise. Yes, I’m picky. The AD-50 in my Accuphase is nice but the allure of ‘the next level’ is always tugging.
Then I accidentally bought an iFi Zen Phono! I was helping my son-in-law with his first TT and found a great used one here on Audiogon. He lives far away and I wanted to install a nice cart I had and dial it in pretty close before sending it on to him. I recommended one of those based on ‘buzz’ and he ordered one immediately. I did too, thinking I’d send it along with his TT. Anyway, for less than $200 I decided to keep it for a nice back-up. The thing is, it sounds absolutely phenomenal in my system. It’s paired with an extremely customized and modded Rega deck with an Hana Umami Red. I also have a Luxman PD-171A with an Ortofon Cadenza Black. That combo generates some great sound too.
So here it is…. The iFi Zen Phono is just crazy good. I think it’s better than the JC+, the Rega Aria that I had, and even the Luxman EQ-500 that I recently let go. Has anyone upgraded from the Zen Phono and to what? My short list includes the Whest Audio PS.40RDT, the new Accuphase C-47 (which would mean selling as much gear from my stash as possible), or an FM Acoustics FM 122-MKII. What else should I consider? I’m very intrigued by the Thoress Parametric Phono Equalizer too. What scares me is that might spend 6 to 12 grand on a unit that barely outperforms the ‘lowly’ Zen Phono.
Thanks for Reading!
Cheers,
~Oran
Showing 5 responses by mijostyn
@sgreg1 , You get out on the wrong side of the bed today? |
The JC 3+ is an excellent phono stage designed by one of the true masters of phono stages. It was either defective or it was not set up correctly. Phono stages can be very difficult to evaluate. They are equalized devices and easy to design them with a pleasing sonic signature by monkeying around with the RIAA circuit. |
@lewm , it appears to me that the unit is using XLRs for the power cord. It has RCAs for input and output. I wish people would stop combining music loving and audiophilia. I know plenty of music lovers who are not audiophiles and actually vice versa. The are audiophiles that play crappy music just because it sounds good and will only buy recordings that sound good. I think it is safe to say that most audiophiles love music. Many of us start out as teenagers with limited funds and as we get older and have more expendable income evolve our systems. It becomes a life long endeavor. What is wrong with that? Some of us have more money and can spend more. SO WHAT! This does not mean they wind up with better systems. Anyone can spend money. The art is making a SOTA system on a budget or getting the most out of what you have to spend. This has nothing to do with the music. A real music lover will listen to a bad recording because it is a great performance. |
@lewm , I was looking at the wrong phono stage. I was not making a reference to the turntable at all. That is now Sota, not SOTA. You made the reference! There are several great turntables like the SMEs, Avids, Basis, and Dohmanns. The Sota is just the best value. |