Hovland HP-100 phono vs Audio Research REF Phono 2

WOW! The REF Phono 2 sounds GOOD!!! Elvis just dropped by for a private personal concert; the sound of this thing is HUGE, Powerful; with what I like to call GRUNT!

More later; need to get back to listening.

The Ref Phono Two goes back to the dealer in the morning and I will miss it big time! It's a very impressive piece of gear in my view. I've owned the Hovland HP-100 for almost six years and it is a fine piece of gear too, but I don't think that it is quite up in the same class overall as the Ref Two. The Ref Two seems so much more powerful and three dimensional; it injected several more layers of depth in the sound field and painted a larger and more defined picture of the players, the instruments, and the entire sound stage. The outlines of instruments like guitars and pianos just seemed more real, better defined in all dimensions and just more in the room. Bass on the Ref Two is stronger, more powerful; it can grunt!

Perhaps only on the top did the Hovland compete; I think that the Hovland is a tab bit more 'beautiful' on top, a little less detailed and less analytical, a bit softer and sweeter to my ear.

I would still like to audition the VTL 6.5 and the Joule Electra PS-4 Marianne Electra Memorial All Tube Phono Stage; perhaps one of them can unseat the Ref Two, but for now I have my doubts.

If you have other top performers that I should put on my audition short list, please tell me what they are!

I am running the Ref Phono Two into the Hovland line stage (my Hovland has had the gain cut down to 6db on the line stage. I used the 'tape monitor' input on the Hovland because it is direct and by passes the selector switch on the Hovland. The results were outstanding! I was very impressed with the Audio Research Ref Two Phono; most of all it added a large dose of authority to the sound; more like an amplifier upgrade than a change in phono stage. All the other improvements were there too: more depth, more detail, bigger sound, more grunt and power in the mid-bass and down, better attack, and better longer decay.

I've tried some NOS Mullards for Hovland in the Linestage and Phono stage (purchased from Upscale Audio)... I was disappointed because they quickly became too noisy. Last time I re-tubed I purchased all the tubes directly from Hovland.

Oh, yes; comparing the Ref Phono to the built-in phono in the Hovland.

I just paid Jeff a visit in New York in early December; I was looking at the Raven AC and Raven One TT; I did not pay much attention to the Tron phono (wish that I had though); any idea how much the Tron cost?

I will give the Amperex Bugle Boys a try in the Hovland. I like warm and rich.

Larryi, these Amperex Bugle Boy tubes?

Amperex Bugle Boy 6DJ8/ECC88 ; these are 12AX7 or 12AT7 equivalent? Which Amperex replaces the 12AX7 and which replaces the 12AT7?

Pricey...

The biggest issue with the Hovland is noise; it's not the most quiet phono/pre you've ever heard. Use it with Khorns and that makes things worse... However, it sounds pretty darn good; just not quite as good overall as an Audio Research Ref Phono Two...