Allnic, Manley and Herron are quite common. Interested in what else is out there that is not mentioned often. Good enough performance at the level of entry level Allnic and above. Lamm is great, I know.
76db gain tube phono stage and no noise ? Very impressive. Ralph, what do you think ? How did he manage that ?
Oh there's noise alright. All phono sections have noise. Its likely using a step-up transformer. Its very easy to get low noise and high gain in that manner!
Hey Inna, interesting thread! I've run an Aesthetix Rhea for about 10 years and like it (but don't love it). After a few years, of daily use, I need to re-tube it as it gets very noisy, and it uses 10 tubes = expensive! But I've owned and tried many phono setups, and this one does deliver a wonderful musical experience with the large-scale orchestral music that is my mainstay. It won't solve the problem that Ralph as pointed out about feeding a tape recorder directly, but it's a nice unit otherwise.
I lust after Ralph's (Atma-Sphere) MP-1 preamp as my ultimate phono. Unfortunately, high end has become even more high and I've never been able to afford one on a fixed income. I have a pair of Ralph's M60 amplifiers that are my all-time favorites, hope to never part with them. They are wonderful room heaters in the cold northern winter.
I'm also a fan of Modwright's gear, having had multiple tube-infused digital pieces that Dan has built. He has a new recently introduced phono stage that is incredibly impressive (in an unfamiliar system), but again too expensive for my budget. But I've heard he also is introducing a lower-priced version that uses trickle-down technology, might be terrific, knowing Dan. Worth your while to check it out?
I have a Conrad Johnson TEA2MAX, high gain (55db) and a Bob's SUT set to 5:1 and it sounds mighty good with my Ortofon Per Winfeld. Trouble for all of us is that we don't know how all of these compare with each other. Isn't it ironic that in today's market with the plethora of choices available to us, there is no way to make comparisons? This dilemma exists for phono stages, and cartriges, and turntables, and arms, and interconnects and....
Maybe if we could compare easily few companies would survive for long. While sometimes it is a matter of match and preferences, at other times it is clearly better/worse. The same in other areas - lawyers, doctors, programmers and many others. Yeah, Aesthetix has been proven to be good to many people for quite some time, though some of those people eventually moved higher, I heard. Allnic ranks very high these days, from the entry model and all the way up. I would want to avoid it but I can't rule out that I would have to try a few one by one by buying and selling. New Allnic 1202, their least expensive model, should be even better than before because they added tube power supply.
I too have owned a Rhea since 07. It replaced an ARC PH 3. The only other phono stage under consideration was the Manley Steelhead as I have the Neo Classic monoblocks. When I first purchased the Rhea it was noisey so Aesthetix re-tubed it for me at no charge and it has worked fine since then all though one will never get a solid state noise floor. I have a dedicated room so enjoy a wonderful soundstage and imaging presented by Maggies and generated by a loaded LP-12/Shelter 90X combo. I am not one to change just because so until I experience a considerable sonic difference in something I'm happy as is
In my own system TRON Seven Reference - beautiful boutique English tube phono - distributed by Jeff Catalano at Highwater Sound in NYC. If you want a giant killer phono tube stage, then the entry level TRON Convergence is stunning at the price - HWS system incl TRON Convergence rated amongst Best Sound of Show at RMAF by many.
When you select a phono stage, all you have to consider are: tubes vs ss balanced vs se available gain active RIAA vs passive RC vs LCR vs LR RIAA correction Number of inputs, switchable? On board cartridge loading or not
And there’s more. So it is no wonder that there are so many viable products out there in the market. And it is no wonder that there is little to no agreement on which one is the best. However, if you can afford to tie up some dollars while you audition for yourself, it is to a limited degree possible to compare phono stages in one’s own system. You can buy used and resell what you don’t like.
Aesthetix IO Signature with combination of NOS and modern tubes. Sounds great to me, and absolute bliss every time I play records. Tubes are the only things I have replaced over the 13-14 years of ownership. Experimented with ASR battery phono in early 2000s and Einstein phono later on. I am convinced the Aesthetix will remain for a long time.
+1 on Tavish. Though I have limited experience with different stages, I put my Vintage Tavish is the same conversation with my Phonomena II. The Phono was a great pre, but when it died, I wanted tubes. The Tavish fit the need. Though, the last I heard, there is a wait to get one.
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