Thank you Raul . The Technics statement gear from that era is outstanding . I have just received a Grace F-9 with out a stylus . I see that Sound Smith has some choices any thoughts ? I have a high mass tone arm
review iPhono 2
I must be slow as I could not find a link to place this as a review.
So, I have written about the 1st gen iPhono in the past, comparing it to the very fine Coincident phonostage which I believe is about $6k. I preferred the iPhono but I could just as easily imagine someone else going for the Coincident unit. In that review I thought the Coincident had a better sustain, decay and bloom while the iPhono was hands down the winner in the prat department. The iPhono made my feet move, the Coincident, not so much.
Later on I added the iPower to the fray and the iPhono shored up the areas it lacked. As a former owner of the very very nice Graaf GM70 I was a bit surprised and dismayed when I finally received the iPhono and heard it once fully run-in. I would not have shelled out the thousands of dollars I paid for the GM70 and the vintage NOS tubs I purchased to make it sing, oh and the $1600 I had to spend on the Ortofon ST-80SE SUT to use with the MM inputs of the Graaf as I could not get it quiet enough to tolerate with the MC inputs. The very small $400 iPhono basically did everything the Graaf did (with the iPower that is).
My reference phonostage for the last few years (and probably many more to come) is the fabulous AMR PH77 and I’m running it with a set of Bendix 6900 tubes which elevates its performance even more than the already stellar stock configurations performance. In comparison to my PH77, I found the 1st gen iPhono to be a bit thin and during crescendos it could become a little ragged. Still, it remained in my arsenal as a handy and trusty back-up. The PH77 is of course tubed and as we tube owners know all too well, sometimes they fail and you are down for a while.
Compared to most phonostages I have heard, some of them costing up to $9k I found the 1st gen iPhono to be able to hold its own in some cases crazy as it may sound it was just plain better. I believe AMR intended the iPhono/iTube to be used in conjunction as a sort of baby AMR PH77 and I ran it that way for some time and yes, it does share that familial DNA when it comes to sonic signature.
Move forward some years and I have in my possession the iPhono2 and the iTube 2. To say that the iPhono 2 is better than its predecessor is far too simple a statement. Mr. Fremer thought it to be at least twice as good as the original. I would agree with his assessment. Out of the box with the included iPower is shows far more prowess in the areas of bass but otherwise is pretty close to the original. After about 20 hours a bit more fluidity begins to appear. Again at the 100 and about the 340 hour mark big jumps occur in the areas of fluidity and continuousness. When you get to 480 hours forget about it!
This thing sounds like it has a tube in it, and I don’t mean in that classic overly warm soft rose colored sound that I found so fantastic when I was new to high end audio. No, I am referring to a pellucid but meaty embodiment and rendering of the music. A sound one would immediately associate with MUCH costlier gear.
Most of my listening has been done with my second turntable system which is composed of a Technics SL-1200 GAE with a fully broken in Denon 103R on a LP Zupreme 15 gram headshell and my London Reference. The phono stage then feeds the iCan Pro (best pre I have heard and I have owned 2 MFA Ref units, the baby Ref and the full Ref), the Tube Research Labs GTP 2, and many more. I have had in my system for evaluation the Veloce (battery powered) the Allnic L3000 and many others. From the pre it goes to the custom active crossover and then to a Graaf Modena for the mids, a Harmonix Reimyo PAT777 for the Raal Ribbons and a pair of Acoustic Reality Thaumaturges ($25K when available) for the woofers. The speaker is called the Encore and is my own design. I simply got tired of paying for passive boxes made of MDF with wood screws going directly into the glued wood dust and sold for tens of thousands of dollars but I digress :)
The sound is at once flowing and dynamic. It grabs and holds my attention and really gets my foot tapping. The sound is MUCH more refined and fuller than the original iPhono with no hint of raggedness during large scale bombastic music. For instance it scales far more convincingly on some of the more challenging passages in Hans Zimmers wonderful soundtrack to Gladiator. The original could sound a bit blocky if you take my meaning. It did not have the ability to gracefully scale the mountain so to speak. The iPhono 2 does it with much more ease and refinement.
Here is where it gets interesting. As good as the iPhono 2 is out of the box and it is very very good (and especially after 340 hours or more) in fact far far better than the DS Audio optical cartridge system that I auditioned, it can be made to sound a good deal better. Now this is my own thing, the iFi line of SMPS’s are admittedly super quiet and much better than most SMPS such as the ones inside my apple gear, but I hate them ALL.
I do not like green eggs and.., ahem. Sorry, just flashed back to Dr. Seuss when I thought of my aversion to SMPS’s.
I mean I understand why they are used, efficient, cheaper to ship and inherently regulated. But they still hurt the sound of my system. As an aside I am actually having a custom linear PS built for my SL-1200 GAE to replace the awful SMPS that Technics installed. So to the point, I replaced the iPower with a linear regulated lab grade power supply. I don’t like hyperbole so I offer none but the result was nothing short of breath taking. There is a great deal more that can be had from that little silver box with a good (and I do mean good) linear supply.
Next I added the iTube 2 to the fray. As I mentioned before AMR always sorta intended this combo to be a baby PH77 as was or may still be mentioned on the iFi site. How to put this; everything I have said about the iPhono 2 up to this point; multiply it by 2 times again. Now you have that sorta living presence that the performers are in your vicinity. Things are rounder, more palpable and it breathes much easier. Again I powered the iTube 2 with a linear supply along with the iCan Pro. Please don’t misunderstand me, I lived with these units powered via there very good SMPS’s for quite a while and they made beautiful music BUT I knew there was much more to be had.
Like Mr. Fremer (paraphrased) stated, to get better than the iPhono 2 you are going to have spend much more and you still may not surpass this unit. I auditioned a $16K current phono stage that people rave over and my ears tell me that it cannot compete with iPhono 2/ iTube 2 combination. I will not call this a reference phono stage. It is great and I listen to it daily but I reserve titles like reference for the likes of Ypsilon, VDH Grail SB and my AMR PH77. The little combo does far more than I could have imagined. It capable of truly astounding musical reproduction on a grand scale.
Remember to let it run in for at least 100 (and I suggest 300) hours before you really start to judge it but my guess is it won’t take most people that long to know that this is special gear designed by some super gifted engineers who also happen to actually be able to HEAR. Thanks for reading and I hope this helps someone make a decision one way or the other. Happy listening.
213 responses Add your response
Dear @lewm : " I really do not like and have not liked "stuff" that was invented and sold solely to make the sound of a solid state device sound more "like tubes" """" well the Iphono is what has in its design: tubestate. That’s why I posted is a " tricky " design. It’s not a true SS design and certainly not a full bipolar one. No single Ifi product is. It's unfortutaed that many electronic SS designers try to do that choosing JFET/FETS/MOSFETS , instead bipolars, because are " nearer to the tube signature " ? ? ? ? That’s like what you name when talking on your full preamp when said: " I use tube... ", no you did not there. The main critical first stage is SS ( not bipolars but still SS. ) There is no way that tubes can compete with a good SS design if what we want is to be truer to the recording. NOt even the PH77 and certainly not in a system where the speakers are driven by 3 different amplifier designs and I know this last issue because I did it in my system with SS, tube and hybrid configurations. No way my frriend. Lewm remember that I always talk not on what I like but what can stay nearer to the recording or live event. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC not DISTORTIONS, R. @enginedr1960: you own one of the best SUTs ever and second to none. Good !. |
Hi enginedr1960: i have a very limited experience with S.U.T's. I have owned the Ortofon ST 80se and used that with my former Graaf GM70 phono stage as that unit was just too noisy to use the MC I out with the MC Anna. It was very a very good sounding system. I did try the ST80 into the mm I out of the 1st gen iPhono and while it was good, I thought the iPhono sans the stormer was more transparent and overall preferred the Anna running directly into the MC inputs of the iPhono. Now there is is a very experience vinylphile that I know and trust very much, he loves the Hashimoto transformers and has told me that they (or at least the one he ordered) a good number of more expensive xformers including the units from Ypsilon. YMMV. My take on this is if your phono stage allows you to bypass xformers, in most cases that may offer up the better sound BUT, it never hurts to try it and listen for yourself :) |
lewm: no no harm no foul :) and in majority of cases I tend to agree with you. About 18 years ago I played with some of tube buffers from Musical Fidelity's XCan series if my memory serves. That did not last long as I found them a bit tubey for my taste. I also had the (don't know if you remember this product) Audio Magic Tubed Interconnect! That was a good product but at $3k, yikes. The iTube 2 is literally like a Swiss Army Knife in that it does a lot of things very well, not that you would need or use all of them all of the time but when you need that one weird tool :) again much like a Swiss Army Knife it's there. I do not keep equipment in my rack because it looks good or because it is impressive (status/cost); I only go by performance :) In his case the iPhono 2's output stage is simply stellar and didn't require it's kiss'n cousin stablemate after 700 hours. |
Got it. Sorry to have been presumptuous. I took the wrong message from your earlier post, but I stand by my opinion about most such devices. On the other hand, I have never played with the iTube, so I certainly have no basis to dispute what you say. Philosophically, I tend to prefer simplest pathways, and I agree you're better off for having removed a pair of ICs and a pair of RCA jacks from the signal path, if nothing else. |
lewm: in in all fairness, I have t dumped my iTube 2 or my iTube. I don't think they make things sound "tubey" at all. At least not when run I classic mode for the I Tube 2 and in zero gain line level mode for the original iTube, which is how I ran them both. I think they offer a high input impedance low output impedance solution with an extremely transparent circuit (when again, run the way I prefer). I used them because they have proven to be better than a lot of output stages I. Far more expensive gear be SS or tubed. My my first experience was replacing my $16k MFA ref TVC with a resistor ladder array attenuator in conjunction with the 1st gen iTube. That combo sounded just a magical as the MFA Ref BUT it was more transparent. The iTube 2 is even more transparent (again I ran it in classic mode bypassing the excellent volume control because I have an iCan Pro). It's just that once my iPhono 2 clocked 700 hours it didn't require the iTube 2 as the sound was now just as glorious and I could remove a set of interconnects. |
Audiofun, I am heartened to see that you have dumped the iTube2. Even though I do use tube equipment, I really do not like and have not liked "stuff" that was invented and sold solely to make the sound of a solid state device sound more "like tubes". In my experience, that never happens; instead you get an added artificial coloration that really represents some engineer's idea of what tube-o-philes like about tubes. Kind of like adding a tube-based buffer stage to the output of a CDP that otherwise uses an all solid-state analog stage. The very idea is almost condescending in its nature. Anyway, carry on. |
Dear @enginedr1960: Btw, the Jeweltone I'm talking is ( if I remember. ) the RIIID model. """ What I am about to say may offend many . It sounds like a great digital front end . """ Well, at least does not offend me only makes that I will looking for a sample. A " great digital front end " is the nearest home audio system that can really honor MUSIC, analog can't do it even that I'm an analog believer but more than this I'm a MUSIC lover and digital is at the top and second to noneincluding R2R. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC not DISTORTIONS, R. |
Thank you Raul & audiofun . I know the Jewltone is a outstanding cartridge . What I am about to say may offend many . It sounds like a great digital front end . If I want my records to sound warm and romantic I have a Ortofon SL15 but for now that Denon DL301MK2 just sounds right in this combo and if I wear it out I can replace it . |
enginedr1960: Congrats, I think you will like it. I continue to be surprised by that unit. My unit now had about 700 hours on it and it has taken another surprising jump. I have actually now taken the iTube 2 out of the chain as the iPhono 2 with 700 hours on it is better standing alone. Below 700 hours there was absolutely no question that it was far far superior with the iTube 2. I must admit that big of a change after 500 hours did surprise me. Some people may laugh at me but I am having a second arm added to one of my tables (Kuzma Airline), I've been planning this for a while. I am seriouosly thinking of simply running another iPhono 2 on that arm with my London Ref or a Koetsu Coralstone. I do not believe that things need to be commensurate in price. The performance of that little box is spooky good and far better than a lot of much more expensive stages. I would love to read about your findinds when you finish your comparison. |
Dear @enginedr1960: Lucky you are,that extremely low output cartridge is really a Jewel/gem. I never can't put my hands on because was so expensive for me. Could be one of the 3 best cartridges ever made. Obviously that I said it through what other people talk in the old times and what J.Carr posted somewhere in this forum in the past. Good that finally you will try that " tricky " SS phono stage. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC not DISTORTIONS, R. |
Audiofun based on your review I ordered a I Phono 2 and a LPS . The phono stage that was in my system is a fine Audio Note R02 I run a SUT for my LOMC cartridges and am using the 36 DB setting with my Denon DL301mk2 after break in I will compare the AN to the IFI . I am @ about 100 hrs and feel the IFI will win . The main reason for giving this a try was the extra gain @ 48db I have a .04 mv output Jewel tone Ribbon cartridge that needs the extra gain. Thank you for the good recommendation . |
smrex13: I am using a linear with the iTube 2 and it does make a big difference for the better. Much of the same benefits you get when a linear is used on the iPhono 2. I use my iTube in classic mode as a pure buffer, no gain, no 3D and no XBass. PS68: Yes, I have been using my London Reference with the iPhono 2. It sounds great. The Denon 103R also sounds awesome with the iPhono 2. For the Denon I have it set 330ohms and 60dB gain. |
Smrex, funny you mentioned that you prefer the iPhono 2 without the iTube2 and sounds better. I agree totally. You described what I am hearing with the iTube 2. The sBooster was the better upgrade. I expect a bit more changes. I don't need to "flavor" either the Yiggy or the iPhono2 or my system. I basically wrote it up that way in my review of the iTube2 on AC Others will hear it different. |
@bacobits1 glad to hear that the Booster is working well off the bat. How's it sounding now? @audiofun Do you find that the LPS helps the sound of the iTube2 as well? I am finding that I prefer the iPhono without the iTube2, as it is clearer and more realistic sounding. However, I'm using the iPower with the iTube2, and it does introduce some low-level noise into the system. In any event, I'm still really enjoying it, and now and then it surprises me with subtle increases in performance as it runs in. This is the first solid state phono stage I've had in a while. I'm interested to compare it to other SS stages to see if I'm just a SS phono guy, or if this is just damn good. Or maybe it's both :) Hope you're all well, Scott |
I have the S Booster in now I also have the iTube 2 in on iPhono2 The Booster PS alone is superb and as mentioned everything becomes so "relaxed and purer" tone and low end detail is just really on. Extreme pleasure in listening. I'm impressed. The SBooster is supposed to need 100 hours to break in further. I'll have to wait to comment further on the iTube 2. Too much to mess with in a couple hours. This is the tour piece from the kind iFI folks on Audio Circle board. I'll have more later. |
I have to write that tonight while listening I was myself surprised that at a little over 500 hours this combination has taken another step towards better sound. I've noticed a more sonorous and substantive sound even more akin to my PH77, I'm not kidding when I say I'm a more than a little shocked that this thing is sounding even better. i listened to the 45 of Jacintha Autumn Leaves, Tango Extreme, Mussorgsky-Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition Stravinsky the Firebird Suite The Philadelphia Orchestra - Riccardo Muti and currently as I type this I'm listening to My Funny Valentine - Ted Rosenthal Trio. All of this music is distinctly being rendered in a more convincing matter. I'm surprised, that's the best I can put it right now. |
Totem, I have no direct experience with the UA723, but here's what I found on the internet: "The ua723/lm723 Voltage regulator IC inner circuit using discreet elements. As u can see the output is astonishingly stable at 63W with a ripple of less than 10mV and this goes up to 90W with external pass transistor. As for the ic itself it provides 150mA at 1-37V and there are dozens of circuits involving this particular ic and they include adjustable current limiting capabilities floating regulator switching regulator and many others. Using this chip only and a few external parts one might make a professional power supply unit for under 10$. The ic also provides short circuit protection and many other cool features like overload protection etc if the correct outer circuit is used. I find this little chip very handy because it does not require any particular skills to use end exploit. the only downside is that if any external transistor should fail just dont bother looking for the problem and go buy a new ua723 and a new transistor. Another downside is that it has a gazilion pins and they can be easily mistaken and again the ic fails. So my advice if you are going to use this ic get a few of them (i blew 2 already)be careful with the pin numbers or just use the simpler still quite good for low power applications LM317 :)" You obviously are not going to DIY, so you need not be concerned about a "gazillion pins". Sounds like a great part. I am most familiar with the LM317 as a current source. Allen Wright used to use it in his SuperRegulator (as a current source). AW himself advised me to remove the LM317, a few years after I built the kit, and it was good advice. His regulator sounded better without the LM317, even though it then lacked a constant current source. |
I'm glad people are finding out how good the ifi combination really is. I'm a seriously hard guy to impress when it comes to audio be it digital, LP or even reel to reel which is not the pancea some would have us to believe. hglaser: I used the tube switch on the iTube 2 in classic mode as well. lewm: Agreed :) |
It is really impossible to evaluate any of the optional aftermarket LPSs mentioned above, because all we can know about them is the size of the box and its net weight. Plus in some cases we are told the part number of an internal voltage regulator. (I agree with Audiofun; the LM317 is no great shakes, but the LM317 may be used as a current source more often than not. I don't much care for it in that capacity, either.) But there is much more to a PS than merely the regulator. Weight is usually proportional to the size of the power transformer, where bigger is usually better, so to some extent knowing the shipping weight is helpful. For sure, any or all of them will be superior to the supplied SMPS, IMO. What you want to know is the size of the transformer in terms of its VA rating (higher is usually better and toroidals are good in this application) and the nature of the rectifiers and filtering. Schottky diodes are the best for rectification. For filtering, in these types of supplies very typically the filtering is done by capacitors, only. (No inductors or resistors, usually.) The more capacitance, the better. |
The only slight drawback I've come across is the MM gain of 36 or 48db. I find that a traditional 40-42db is ideal in my system. 48 can be a bit much on some of the most dynamic music while 36 leans just so slightly to the soft side because I'm using a MI Zephyr 3 that has a lowish (for MM) 2.12 output. Not a huge issue, just haven't quite hit the sweet spot yet. Happy listening, Scott |
Well, at the risk of being late to the party, mark me down as another VERY happy user. I got an iPhono2 about 3 weeks ago and was enjoying it very much. It was installed with a Basis 2001, Vector 2 tonearm and Ortofon 2M Black. Definitely great value for money, plus. I was so impressed with the iPhone2 that I started looking at iFi's micro series as a whole and the iTube2 caught my eye. My system has been, till now, an all-solid state affair. With every increase in resolution as I've slowly upgraded my system, the characteristic SS "sheen" was becoming more evident, and less tolerable. So the iTube2 seemed like it might be a nice solution. Boy, did I get more than I bargained for! Not only is the sheen gone, with sound "rounder" and more "mellifluous," but the versatility of the iTube2 makes it just an amazing piece, and lots of fun to play with. As another poster said, a Swiss army knife. The 3D and xBass circuits are very well executed. The tube sound selection switch is awesome. I settled on the middle "tube characteristic" sound. In my system, better than the SET or push/pull settings. If you're at all curious, don't hesitate to give it a trial. Musicdirect and Amazon make that so easy. As others have said, the form factor is a bit odd. While it's well built, it's hard to love. Best to hide the iPhono2 once dialed in, but the iTube2 does have to sit out if you're going to use the switches with regularity. Of course, there's always the . . . . iRack. (No joke, but pricey for what it is.) Cheers, Alex |
I read several instances of the stock wallwart failing at 2 weeks or so with replacements then being supplied. Seems an upgraded supply is indeed the way to go. By the way I forgot to mention when I got the info on the swagmanlab supply they indicated that the "thought" the UA723 chip was superior to the LM317. |
Just dropped the SBooster into my rig a few minutes ago, and the difference is immediately apparent. Instruments sound more real, bass has more impact, and there is a whole layer of electronic haze that's gone. Really a huge improvement. With the wallwart plugged in, I could turn my integrated up to about halfway and hear a pretty pronounced high pitched buzz. Now it's totally silent. This is gonna be fun! Scott |
To all, thank you for the info. I do have a trial Ifi iTube 2 coming for audition. I'll hold off on the PS for now but will lean towards the Pyramid since it's not that much (adjustable too) plus it is the exact one Audiofun is commenting on. A lot of these supplies can get pretty stupid cost wise quickly. The SBooster is only out of Canada no US Offering and the Swagman is out of China anyway. Again all not that costly. Keep it coming because as is I'm hearing all kinds of info from the iFI Phono2 I have not heard from any Phono Pre's I have had here. |
A heads up for anyone still wondering what chip is used in the http://www.swagmanlab.com/Product_PSU?product_id=604 power supply's I was informed it is the UA723 for both standard and deluxe version. |
@audiofun thanks for the explanation. I'm going to give the SBooster (https://www.sbooster.com/botw-pp-eco-15v-16v/) a try. Will let you know how it turns out. Right now I'm just using the iPhono2 while I let the iTube2 burn in w/my CD player, and the iPhono2 just keeps getting better. Just tonight I noticed some light symbol work deep on the background on "Monk Straight, No Chaser." It was so perfectly rendered and deep in the soundstage that it was startling. Will let y'all know how the SBooster sounds. cheers, Scott |
smrex13: So what happens is that the coolness (like a type sterility) that SMPS's impart on the overall sound of systems is removed. I don't care how quiet (low ripple voltage) a SMPS may be, they always always dump high frequency hash back on the line. This has is shared aross the grounds(chassis) of your devices and infects them like a pathogen. Once you remove it, you will always be able to identify that sound. I remeber when I really wanted the Halcro DM10 or DM8, the minute I found out that thing had a SMPS, I was out. When you start removing these supplies from your system or at the very least use a very long extension cord (which defeats the purpose of a high end PC) this high frequency garbage is removed. The power supply in your geat is NOT designed to be a ubiquitous flter. It does a good job but it is designed to pass a 60hz signal, not clean up higgh freq hash. If you have a toroidal transformer in your gear it is even worse becaus of the tighter coupling between primary and secondary/secondary's. I.E. transformer do a better job filtering out this noise due to the air gap in their construction. I would say this, everything you hear right now.., multiply the goodness by 2 and you are starting to get a good idea of what the linear supply will do for you. The sound becomes more relaxed and purer while simultaneous gaining impact. SMPS's are not in keeping with the best that high end audio has to off. Years ago(say 1999) I was speaking with John Ulrich of Spectron (used to own the Spectron 1KW) about power supplies and he asked me what I thought about him placing a SMPS in his amps (it would save weight) and I told him it would kill the sound of amp. I sggested he not go that route. I am not saying I am the reason he chose to stick with a linear supply, just relaying a conversation I had :) I hope that helps. |
http://www.swagmanlab.com/Product_PSU?product_id=604 Would this PS work fine? Not adjustable but a bit less industrial than the Parts Express, don't have the room here. |
Elinor: Ok, first and foremost your moniker is the name of an awesome car and if I could get past my obsession with air cooled 911's and my very special custom 944 Turbo I'd own that mustang :) You are correct about people getting past the price. It is an exceptional device. Thoersten Loesche is no joke and thanks to Darren Conseulo of Avatar Acoustics for bringing this gear to the colonies. Darren has the best ear of any distributor/dealer I've ever met.., no joke. |
I have owned the ifi Phono2 since last July. I live in a 2 bedroom condo and I am space challenged. I have a fairly expensive system although I have been using the Phono stage in my preamp for years. Having been very impressed by the original ifi this one offers much more robust power output plus 72db gain and more sub 100 ohms of loading both of which work beautifully with my cartridge. Put it behind your components out of sight and everyone visiting you will think you are running a $5k Phono preamp. Not an exaggeration particularly if you use expensive ICs with it. You just have to lose the nagging concept that you are listening to a $500 piece of gear and once broken in and used with correct gain and loading options won't be hard to do. |
I'm the fellow whose mind was #$%#$ blown! I purchased the iPhono2 as a back up (as I've been auditioning phono stages and wanted a solid baseline and something to use in between auditions) and out of curiosity as I'd read Audiofun's review of the original iPhono and Fremer's recent review of the iPhono2. At first I thought it was a pleasant sounding unit with decent dynamics and nice clarity. Definitely a step above others in its price range. Fortunately, I had been warned that it took a long time to break in, so I didn't jump to conclusions. I used a phono burn-in CD every night for about a week, and each day seemed to reveal a bit more clarity, depth, smoothness. At some point about 10 days in I realized that I was just lost in the music and had completely forgotten about the equipment. A very good sign. I added the iTube2 about a week ago, and it seemed to expand the bass depth and sound stage while not obscuring any detail. It's fun to experiment with all the different settings, but right now I'm just letting the unit burn in. I thought I might be disappointed in returning to the iPhono2 without the iTube2, but I just tried at the iPhono2 seems to have evolved even further - smoother, more engaging, deep soundstage. Really a wonderful sound. And I haven't even explored linear power supplies yet! I should mention that I don't have experience with the reference-level gear that Audiofun uses, but in comparison to the few tubed phono stages in the $2500 range I've heard, the iPhono2 is a true standout. Again, just my 2 cents, YMMV, take with a grain of salt, my system/my ears, etc. :) Scott |
