MULTIPLE ARM TURNTABLE

Nkonor, I would ask Manley regarding other changes between the v1.0 and v2.0 of the Steelhead.  The layout is different, in addition to the motorized volume control, but I don't know about anything else.

Doshi Alaap is quality for sure.  My only beef would be in theory, because it uses 12AU7s, the sound of which I have always disliked, compared to many other twin triodes of similar characteristic, especially the 6SN7. Never compared Doshi Alaap to the Steelhead. I bought the Steelhead for totally pragmatic reasons, rather than based on listening tests.  It has the features I needed for my Beveridge system, and I only knew by reputation that it would be very good, which it is.  I have plans for some tweaks to the circuit, though. I had an Aesthetix Janus for a while, also very good ONLY after upgrading the coupling capacitors, but I like the Steelhead a tad better.

Anyway, I don't think this discussion is necessarily about what is the "best" phono stage, and I am making no such claim for the Steelhead.  There's another thread for that. I knew that my suggesting that the Atma-sphere and DSA were unique in offering balanced phono inputs would bring out the names of some others that also do.  I will say this: the DSA is truly unique in its offering 3 really discrete phono stages, each with its own separate gain and loading controls, on one chassis. They are really separate modules.  That would be very hard to achieve with tubes.

I own the Manley v2.0 and like it a lot.  I use it to drive a pair of Beveridge 2SW speakers via the built-in direct-drive Beveridge amplifiers.  You'll need no separate linestage, unless you want multiple high level inputs.  The Steelhead only has one high level input.

If you have a big budget, and if you are OK with solid state, you might consider the DSA phono2.  It has three totally discrete phono sections on one chassis.  Offers a choice of fully balanced or SE inputs and outputs. (Otherwise, only Atma-sphere offers balanced phono inputs, so far as I know.) You can set gain, load, capacitance, etc, independently for each one of the three sections.  It's built like a tank, would cost 3X as much if it fell into greedy hands of a marketer.  Purely for versatility and flexibility, there's nothing better that I know about, if you like SS.