Phono Stage_Skoll-by Schiit Audio

Well, hello crew, I'm back after listening for a few weeks.  No doubt this Schiit phono stage sounds better than the C-J EF1.  Hands down.  Not sure how they can build and sell such a fine unit for $400, but they managed!

Well, hello crew, I'm back after listening for a few weeks.  No doubt this Schiit phono stage sounds better than the C-J EF1.  Hands down.  Not sure how they can build and sell such a fine unit for $400, but they managed!

December 12th.  Still impressed with the  Schiit phono stage!  No complaints.  Definitely sounds better than the C-J unit it replaced.

If you're looking for a high quality, lower cost solution for a Phono Stage, this be the one!!  

Tom, I promised my youngest daughter (an aspiring audiophile) that I would gift  the C-J unit to her.  If not for that, I would have sold it to you .

Schiit AI says it's ok to leave the phono on all the time.  The C-J unit did not have any power switch and was on for 20+ years; and both utilize MOSFET's , as I recall, so most likely ok??

It (Schiit) runs on the warm side, not hot, warm, so I'm a little anal about leaving it on.  It has a power switch on the back, which is hard to find.

Really  nit picky... I know. 

Another tid bit of discovery.  I've been playing around with the gain stages.  I prefer 70 dB of gain over all other settings.  

Yes, you get higher volume, but mids and highs are more pronounced.  It could be a byproduct of my particular set up and equipment selection.

It just sounds better.

Now, I have capacitive loading at 50p.  I'm not well schooled on this setting.  The old C- J unit only had gain and resistive loading.  

Any one have recommendations?

That was a interesting read.  

I'll digest it a bit and read it again.  Thanks for your 2 cents!

I sent them an email stating the above.

Oh, I'm sorry, I did that.  I listened to a Bob Dylan record on the prior C-J phono amp, then disconnected it and plugged in the Schiit phono.  Took perhaps 30 minutes putzing with cables and power.  Listened to the same record again.  Improvement was immediate.  Now, that being said, there may be something wrong with the C-J Phono that needs attention, but other than the low hum described (which is has done for 20 years) it seemed to work just fine.  

I get what your saying because some time ago I was putzing with loading in the C-J unit.  At 47K ohms I thought it sounded better, but after a week of listening I switched to 100 ohms because of brightness....

I'll break it in for a week or so and chime back if something changes.

Oops...Forgot the J.A. Michael turntable and SME V tonearm w/ six nines pure silver cable running from the cart to the phono stage..  A very nice turntable rig I've had for over 25 years.....

I have had a Lyra Delos, moving coil cart for the last 10~12 years which puts out ~.0.5mV of signal.  Boron cantilever, line contact diamond stylus.  It replaced a Benz Micro Glider MC around the same price point. (a shade under $2K).  I have always felt that the C-J EF1 was the weak link in my system.  C-J Premier 17LS preamp.  C-J LP66S amp.  All vacuum tube set up.  My ear likes tubes over solid state.  Kef Reference 3~2 speakers,  SVS unported subwoofers (2).  (The SVS have ~600 Watt class D powered amps built into them....they do a good job of digging into the very bottom end)  Very good audioquest king cobra interconnects along with audioquest speaker cable to all 4 speakers.  All the same length with pure silver connectors.

I originally had the loading set to 200 Ohms resistance in the EF-1.  I got some bug to change it, most likely from reading some posts here in regards to loading.....47K (basically unloaded) was not the way to go with a moving coil....  We all live and learn.  Its a fun hobby!

In my humble opinion I would keep the hook up all the same type.  If not, you have to purchase very special and expensive interconnects that have the two different types of hookups.  Stay with RCA to RCA.  Lou

Gem, congratulations!  

Enjoy the music!

Mine runs a tad warm also.

I've learned to ignore it...