Phono stages belong to which tier?


I feel the phono stage is the most critical component in an analog system since it is an important part of the source. Which phono stages have you heard and in which tier would they fall in 1st 2nd or 3rd?
From reading the threads here: aesthetix, manley, lamm, fm acoustics, einstein would probably fall in the 1st.
Please include stages that have been listened to extensively and those that have been heard breifly.
pedrillo

Showing 2 responses by ebe

Pedrillo,

I have the Whest 30RDT, which I utilize with a VPI Scoutmaster Signature table and a Dynavector Te Kaitora Rua cartridge. I run these into an ARC Ref. 3 and a REf 110. My speakers are Sonus Faber Elipsas. I compared the Whest 30rdt against the ARC ph 7 and the new Esoteric phonostage. The Whest was a better match for my system, the ARC didn't have enough gain and sounded muffled and the Esoteric was very good, but not good enough to justify the high price. The Whest sounds wonderful, very open, dynamic and detailed. There's great synergy with my system. I've definitely turned into an analogue guy. I highly recommend the Whest RDT. It's $3,995 U.S. and can be had for less with a little negotiation.
Hey Curio,
Thanks for quoting me in your response! I'm sitting here listening to some great jazz right now. The whest is wonderful...and the rest of my system....well it gets me through the cold winters here in Chicago. I'm a big fan of Sonus Faber! Since they're made in your back yard, have you spent any time listening to them? I've owned the Cremonas and now I have the elipsas. Would enjoy hearing from you.
Cheers,

Erik