Is there any benefit to a tubed phono stage?

Can't have too many tubes! :-)

Actually there are some fine SS and Tubed phono stages. I'd make my choice based on tone and versitility, that is the ability to adjust so you can use different types of cartridges with different gain and loading requirements.

I have a tube pre and tube phono, but you CAN have too many tubes if implemented wrong it can mush up everything.

pretty much you either like tubes or you don't

I like tubes, but they don't like me.:-(

I am sure the response is the same as many other subjects, "it ain't what you do but the way that you do it". In other words it is all in the execution. In theory, tubes are intrinsically more noisy, which should be most important in the area dealing with the smallest input signal, that is, a phono stage. In practice, I use a K&K hybrid phono stage and I have never heard a quieter stage or one less prone to RFI. Then I have'nt heard the best and most expensive phono stages around(not that the best and most expensive are synonymous)

David12, if you like the K&K phono you should check out Kevin and Dave's RAKK DAC. Does for CDs what the K&K phono does for vinyl. Dave's line stage is pretty awesome too.

no there isn't....but it looks cool

Had I not gotten a good deal on a Hagerman Trumpet I would have purchased the K&K phonostage. I own the K&K step-up which I use with the Hagerman and Kevin built me a custom TVC passive preamp using S&B transformers. His work is excellent and he is a pleasure to deal with. I can only imagine what the DAC and linestage sound like.

Benefit, of course!! Solid states are very good ones as well, but with tubes comes Tube rolling and finding what flavor you like, yeah it costs, and yeah it could take some time and knowledge to find the right tubes, but bottom line just like any preamp you can customize the sound.. Solid state is good but will always sound the same or generally anyway, if its too hard sounding or to soft sounding with your cartridge combo you got no choice but to keep messing with cartridge settings or changing it all together, the tube changing should be cheaper and can be more effective. But I would find one with not too many tubes and this will reduce the issue over going crazy with some 8 tube phono pre or something. Just my opinion, but I have had a few hi regard stand alone Solid states, and Built in pre's in solid state preamps, I listen to mostly hard rock, classic rock, and stuff from the beatles on and just found tubes to be much nicer to balance things out, plus I have capabilities to change the input impeadance for MC which really helps match up the cartridge.

The K&K phono is designed to use the Russian 6N1P tube. NOS versions of this tube are still available for $5 a pop. For $100 you could have a lifetime supply! Tube rolling and tube cost are not an issue with this phono pre.

transistors in general have the characteristic of loosing low level detail and adding odd-ordered harmonics that make the sound harsher.

Once detail is removed and the harmonic structure is tainted, no amount of work downstream will get the music back. So yes, there is a huge reason to use tubes.

The drawbacks: tubes are often noisier and you may have to spend some real cash to get a quiet phono section if you are using low output cartridges. Tubes do need replacement as they wear out.

My advice is to avoid phono sections that use tubes that are out of production and those that use 6DJ8s (which tend to be microphonic). Doing this will avoid a lot of headaches!

I too have the K&K phono stage and would agree with the statement that it's not whether something has tubes in it but, rather, how they are implemented in the overall design. There is nothing noisy or mushy about this phono stage, but there is something ineffable about it's sound that only tubes seem to bring to the party.

The only benefit to a tube phono stage is "fidelity" otherwise it's just a big pain in the ass. I love the sound of my Aesthetix Rhea and I have a friend with an I/O signature which sound's beautiful. Either make music like no SS phono I have ever heard. If you like vinyl, you'll really like vinyl on tubes!
Happy Listening!