I owned and enjoyed the PHD for several years, and only replaced all the batteries once,and just for OCD reasons.
It performed flawlessly and I enjoyed the sound,really can't find anything to fault with it, except for the fact that changing gain and cap cards was a bit of a chore.
The person who bought my PHD is certainly very pleased with it,I can't see why anyone wouldn't be pleased with it.
So why did I switch to the Steelhead?
I was in upgrade mode and wanted to assemble a new system starting with the speakers and working backwards to the source.
Sorry Ivor.
Switching to the Steelhead was as much about pride of ownership as it is about sound quality.
The Steelhead has no hum issues is as quiet as the PHD in my estimation and isn't a let down or step backwards.
As pretty as the PHD is inside,there's much to enjoy when looking at the internals of the Steelhead control section and the separate power supply.
The Steelhead is built like a fine piece of pro audio gear, which is fitting due to it's pro heritage.
My Steelhead was used when I bought it, and it's the 1.5 version, the second MC inputs are configured for my Esoteric cd player.
I've had it for nearly 2 years now and recently because of OCD I did a tube replacement from Manley, who are the best in customer support, whether you bought your unit used or new, they never fail to get back to you if you have any questions.
Do I miss the PHD?
No,I have no regrets.
Both phono stages performed well, gave me no problems, and either unit would be a great addition to any vinyl set up.
Which sounds better? Is something I can't answer because I never had both units at the same time to compare.
It performed flawlessly and I enjoyed the sound,really can't find anything to fault with it, except for the fact that changing gain and cap cards was a bit of a chore.
The person who bought my PHD is certainly very pleased with it,I can't see why anyone wouldn't be pleased with it.
So why did I switch to the Steelhead?
I was in upgrade mode and wanted to assemble a new system starting with the speakers and working backwards to the source.
Sorry Ivor.
Switching to the Steelhead was as much about pride of ownership as it is about sound quality.
The Steelhead has no hum issues is as quiet as the PHD in my estimation and isn't a let down or step backwards.
As pretty as the PHD is inside,there's much to enjoy when looking at the internals of the Steelhead control section and the separate power supply.
The Steelhead is built like a fine piece of pro audio gear, which is fitting due to it's pro heritage.
My Steelhead was used when I bought it, and it's the 1.5 version, the second MC inputs are configured for my Esoteric cd player.
I've had it for nearly 2 years now and recently because of OCD I did a tube replacement from Manley, who are the best in customer support, whether you bought your unit used or new, they never fail to get back to you if you have any questions.
Do I miss the PHD?
No,I have no regrets.
Both phono stages performed well, gave me no problems, and either unit would be a great addition to any vinyl set up.
Which sounds better? Is something I can't answer because I never had both units at the same time to compare.