What phono pre am I looking for?

JLTi brand has a great history, since Allen Wright is no longer with us Joe Rasmussen taking care of the business and here is the latest version, actually cheaper than old version, lower than your budget as the price is in Australian Dollars, check this out: http://www.customanalogue.com/jlti_phono_stage.htm

I use this JLTi phono stage and i love it. Few people on audiogon have it.
You can check this: https://www.audiogon.com/listings/vacuum-state-jlti-mk3i-absolute-sound-recommended

Now i’m thinking about that Italian Gold Note PH-1 after i have realised that price without VAT is under 1000 euro which is amazing deal imo (normally they are 1400 in the shops).

I’m not looking for tube phono stage, actually i have replaced all my tube gear, no more tubes in my system, no regret.

$1k is my target price for any additional phono stages, i think it’s realistic budget for superb MM/MC phono stages. One of them is JLTi

@holomech why Parasound instead of Gold Note PH-10 ?

The goal of Gold Notes for me is that it has 2 independed phono inputs with independent settings for each and the ability to switch between them. Great for a turntable with two different tonearms.

My JLTi has only one input :(

@bpoletti That’s explain nothing! Only your bad imagination.
What’s wrong with you? I’m in St.Petersburg, Russia and i do not sell JLTi or anything from that Australian brand.

I’ve learned about JLTi from the David Dlalolum posts here on audiogon, he’s not posing anymore for some reason, but that was his choice of phono stage for MM cartridges (he asked for the same mod as myself).

I don’t know of any other phono stage with optional loading (plug in RCA resistors on the back) for MM cartridges! It is also amazing for LOMC cartridges of 0.25mV or higher. This is a great feature that comes with extremely expensive phono stages like Herron and others, but only for $750 dollars including delivery worldwide. Do you know any other products at this price tag that can compete with 3k phono stages and offering same features?

It is hand build in Australia by Joe Rasmussen (partner of Aller Wright). You can ignore it and stick to your overpriced phono stage or some other cheap made in china products people promotes here (like the iPhono 2), but i will promote "best price and top quality" phono stage as much as i like it, because this is my honest opinion about this wonderful producs for very reasonable price. I have much more expensive phono stage in my arsenal too and tried various different phono stages, the JLTi is great, that’s it!

I use this phono stage myself and i will recommend it to anyone who would like to have great phono stage and ask for it on audiogon forum. I do not sell this phono stage, it’s a keeper.

I’m pretty sure if that could be reviewed by M.Fremer (like he did with iPhono) everyone would love to grab it, but there is NO reviews yet!

If someone making legendary $2-3k phono stage again for $750 - that’s a good news for everybody, maybe it’s a bad news for you, but who cares?

JLTi kills the iPhono 2 in my system, so now i want to try it agains that Italian Gold Note PH-10 (if i will buy it next month, maybe).

P.S. Allen Wright passed away and that’s very sad. Old audiohiles remember this name and his reputation.

Thanks Lew
I like my $2500 WLM Phonata Reference better for LOMC, but it’s completely different design, it’s a current phono stage, with lundahl transformers inside.

But when people ask for the phono stage under $1500 the JLTi must be in the list for sure if the buyer is ok with just one input (to switch between MM/MC).

Also for vintage MM enthusiatst i do not know anything with the option described earlier and that’s the reason why our David (dlaloum) has been using JLTi for his amazing collection of the rare vintage MM cartridges.

In my opinion "normal" people are not buyin $10 000 phono stage or $15 000 turntables with $8000 cartridge from the start. 

Ok, the JC3+ is another $3000 phono stage, LOL
Parasound released JC3 Junior for half price and here is the review

The Gold Note PH-10 cost 50% less than Parasound JC3+
Not sure how it competitive with JC3 Jr.

Has anyone compared them ?


P.S. I could get new PH-10 from Italy with warranty for $1120 (in black or silver) including delivery to my door. It’s an eye candy, love its design and compact size.

Herron VTPH-2A is about $3700 and full of tubes. He has explained why loading plugs instead of dip switches here. But even in this design at this price over $3k it’s impossible to change loading of MM cartridges (only 47k Ohm by default)! As i said many times, every respected manufacturer of the nice Moving Magnet cartridges clearly stated the loading range from 30k Ohm to 100k Ohm (not just 47k Ohm).

@browndt

Nothing that has been suggest here even comes close to the sound it produces.

I believe you have tried every phono stage mentioned here before making such conclusion?

@jmolsberg 

Everybody loves the Herron 2A but unfortunately I am too poor ): want to sell me your at half price (:

I feel the same when people recommends phono stage with price tag over $3k, this is just too much. Have you checked the Gold Note PH-10? 

Anyone can explain what is the benefit of the tube phono stage? 
Tubes are noisy and microphonic, only top quality military vintage NOS tubes are very good, but they must be replaced like the cartridge over the years, they can not last forever. Top quality NOS tubes like Telefunken, Mullard, Siemens are extremely expensive, some RCA or Sylvania are not so expensive, but still not cheap. When i've been using tube gear (amp) i could not find any modern tubes (ecc81 or el84) that can compete with the NOS vintage tubes from the 60's or 70's. Change the tube and you change the sound, it's endless quest!  

Where does one get it for $1200? I suppose to realize its potential you need the external power?

Italian shops will be happy to sell PH-10 without VAT if it will be exported from Europe, maybe it depends on the distributor in your area, but in my case they can ship directly to me without VAT as it should be (that’s the low). The price is much better without VAT added to it.

I don’t care about optional upgrades, every manufacturer trying to catch you with external power supplies, but the phono stage must be good or bad from the start, the external (optional) power supply is the next step if you like the phono stage.

Alternative RIAA is a myth, nothing but tone control. I have some records from the 50s, but they are not from Colombia or Decca. Fremer claimed Decca ALWAYS used standard RIAA and it was proved to him by an old DECCA’s engineer.

However, i’ve never heard PH-10, but i own JLTi which is cheaper and might be better as it does not have that fancy look (to reduce the price only) and also comes with optional power supply as the upgrade.

BTW the old Parasound JC3 might be not as good as the JC3+. Read J.Carr's comment here https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/jc3-anyone