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Help me decide on phono preamp

I have enjoyed my current setup but have decided to try a seperate phono preamp to see what improvements in sq can be had. I have two options I can purchase locally in mind based on my current budget :

Musical Surroundings Nova Phonomena ($400 used)

Lehmann Black Cube SE ll ($600 used)

My current setup is a Music Hall MMF 9.1 TT with a Clearaudio Maestro V2 cartridge playing through the built in MM/MC phono preamp in my Marantz PM - 11S3 integrated amp. 

Any opinions on either of these options?  The built in preamp has excellent reviews. Will either of these alternatives make a material difference or do I need to significantly increase my budget to have a real inpact?

Thanks
sjtm

Showing 2 responses by big_greg

big_greg
6,718 posts
 
According to reviews the phono stage in the Marantz is very nice. It's hard to to say whether you could improve on it at your budget. What you will probably get with a separate phono stage is more options for loading and gain settings.

The Nova phonomena is a very good phono stage. I have two of them. They're very quiet and have a lot of different loading options and gain settings.

Having said that, I recently picked up a Parks Puffin and like it more than the Nova phonomena. They're $400 new.  Very quiet, great soundstage, and tons of adjustments are available. I don't think you'd have much trouble getting most of your money back if you don't like it.
big_greg
6,718 posts
 
The Manley Chinook is what I use in my main system.  I haven't done an A/B comparison of the Chinook and the Nova Phonomena, so can't speak to a direct comparison between the two, but the best way I can describe the Chinook is that it is more "musical", there's more information and it draws you into the music in a way that the Phonomena doesn't.  The Phonomena is very neutral and quiet, but there's just "more" with the Chinook. 

I'm using the Chinook in an all tube system with a Music Hall MMF-7.1 turntable with a Van Den Hul MC Two cartridge. 

I've used Jolida JD-9 tubed phono stages in systems with solid state amps and they are complementary. 

Many people say that using a combination of SS amps and tubed preamps offer some of the best of both, the control and accuracy of solid state with some of the added "color" you get from tubes. 

I have a few Marantz components and they are all very "polite", detailed, but a little laid back.  I don't know what your piece sounds like, but if it is typical of the Marantz "house" sound, the Chinook might be a little more dynamic and colorful than the phono pre in the Marantz.  I have a hard time imagining that the included phono stage in the Marantz would be better than the Chinook.

The Jolida JD9 is a nice phono stage but when I replaced it with the Chinook it was a pretty dramatic improvement.
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