Recommendations for MM Phono ~ Tube or Solid State

Might want to check out Steve Guttenberg's experience with using SUTs.  Sounds (no pun intended) like an interesting pursuit. Have fun!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tAPAPmfscc&t=28s

More to the point, if you are investing in an outboard SUT, you can make the case that you don't need the H6500, because in paying for the H6500, you are buying its built in SUTs, which will become superfluous. The words that Raul quoted led me, and probably also Raul, to believe you had already purchased an H6500.  What you say here suggests you borrowed one, albeit you seemed very happy with it.  In my opinion, there is no trick to making a very good sounding MM phono stage these days. As a result there are many good choices, and if you select a reputable one, you almost cannot go wrong, except where your personal taste comes into play.  And for personal taste, you ought not to be relying upon the opinions of a wide variety of audiophiles who own a wide variety of systems and who may hear LPs quite differently from the way you hear LPs.  This may mean just take a shot at something.  If you prefer the Accuphase phono section to the H6500 (and it's not entirely clear that you do feel that way), that suggests you may prefer a solid state device.  Beyond that, all bets are off.

My recent experience with SUT is similar to that of Steve Guttenberg. I was so impressed with how much improvement a modestly priced SUT brought to my system that I questioned why I lived without one for the last fifteen years. SUT is the way to go if you're using a LOMC. A simple MM stage such as a Zesto Andros Spirit would do the trick.

scar972, Your thinking is a good example of faulty audiophile thinking.  Because you bought one SUT and compared it (evidently) to one high gain phono stage, you are drawing a universal conclusion that SUTs are superior to high gain phono stages (or at least that's how it comes across).  Suffice to say you like your new SUT better than your old high gain phono stage.  That's fine.

@psf4972

Thank you for your recommendation. I have heard of Abbas DAC’s, nothing but high praises all around, I will definitely keep in mind when I am ready to pull the trigger.

@moonwatcher - Thank you!

@j-wall I agree, Buying Allnic on used market is a good value. What took me by surprise is their very linear sound despite of all the tubes, H-6500 sound nothing like a tube component. I think it’s intentional by design as designer doesn’t want end users to hear any coloration which kinda makes sense. I am honestly spoiled by Shindo Labs, nothing else has come close to sounding that heavenly as my Monbrison preamp.

@scar972

Thank you for sharing your experience. I am hoping to hear next level performance by inserting a properly matched SUT. It’s a work in progress:-) 

Thank you for your recommendation for Andros. It’s reasonably priced and uses my favorite tubes, NOS Telefunken or Mullard’s comes to mind to further tweak the sound.