yeah, I think I've seen Kevin at Upscale Audio singing their praises
Tube MC phono stage recommendation
I've been enjoying my Bottlehead Eros phono for some time now and after a good bit of tube rolling I think sounds pretty great. However, it's gain is a bit limited for running MC cartridges and when I've tried in the past it forces me to crank up the system and with that comes lots of noise. I'm sure a SS MC phono would be the quietest option but I love the quality of sound and the tweakability offered by tubes.
Let me know if you have a tube phono (new or used) that you would recommend. I would be interested in anything under $1,500 (ideally a lot under ;).
Thanks!
Let me know if you have a tube phono (new or used) that you would recommend. I would be interested in anything under $1,500 (ideally a lot under ;).
Thanks!
Showing 7 responses by designtaylor
Hey chakster, yes, I have fun both ss (integrated and standalone) and tube phonos and my ear seems to prefer the results I get from tubes. Not always easy to live with but I enjoy the process of researching, sourcing, and swapping tubes. I'll probably try exploring the world of SUTs, but just out of curiosity, what SS phono stage in my price range do you really love? |
Thanks for the suggestions! Some really fun items to research. I did end up going with a Cinemag based SUT built by Ned Clayton and a Dennon DL-301ii. Everything is sounding great but I did need to swap some tubes in the Eros. Apparently, in my pre-MC quest for more detail and clarity, I had biased the system a little lean and needed to warm and soften it a bit after installing the 301. |
elader - indeed! Really happy with his work and how it fits into my system. |