Which Phono Pre?

Dear @rossb : Sorry till today I read your post.

Unfortunatelly no. I know very well Whest audio and I have a high respect for them, have really solid engeenering. I I listened the 3 raference or signature ( can't remember ) and the 30 and followed almost from Whest started.

It's very competitive items at more or less affordable prices and yes is a good alternative.

R.

Dear friends: I posted a few days now that we don't need a high efecctive mass tonearms and posted why. There I said that a medium EM tonearm can works with almost any cartridge as what the OP owns.

But if we own a high compliance cartridge say 23cu that weigths 5grs. ( normally those MM/MI cartridges are low weigth. ) and we mounted in a 14grs. EM tonearm ( typical medium mass. ) the resonance frequency will stays at 8hz that by coincidence is where misjostyn likes it.

R.

Dear @westcoastaudiophile : Yes, that Teac unit is accurated but its overall operation is in digital domain and works with op-amps. It's not a full analog discrete devices unit. I can't know what the OP could think about.

Certainly and even that's really inexpensive: not for me.

R.

Dear @jjgasp  : "   I’ll let you know once I get it setup and dialed-in "

Can I understand that you own that combo and not listen it yet?

Btw, you can't have any problem between tha RSP and the really good Kuzma tonearm. It's frequency resonance in between stays inside the ideal frequency range ( 8hz-12hz. ) with: 11hz.

That cartridge is very good performer, I own it and after own several Koestsu models this one was the first Koetsu that really shines and by coincidence was ( I think ? ) the first Koetsu with platinum magnets. Stay with no MM can be nearer except the MI ADC 26/27.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @tablejockey : Here we are talking not opf tonearm/cartridge match in where I’m in agreement about that " determined by your ears ".

When we are talking of phono stage, at least for me, what I’m looking for is a neutral, accurated and very low colorations/distortions unit.
We need a phono stage that degrades the less the valuable cartridge signal and from my point of views the XP27 achives all those critical characteristics. The OP is looking for the best phono stage he can afford between those alternatives.

"" will have very tolerable noise levels.."""

Sorry but for me the best " tolerable noise levels " is NO noise levels ! I can see you are not to much demanding about, I'm the other way around.

R.

Dear @jjgasp : Nice analog rig that needs the best phono stage you can buy inside your budget.

Phono stage is always critical in analog to achieve top quality performance sound, so you have an important decision to make.

Your alternatives are fine and the best of all them with out dimish any one is the Pass XP-27.

You can't go wrong with. Is a winner.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.