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Which Phono Preamp for my System????

I'm looking for a decent phono preamp for my Linn Axis Turntable. I am primarily listening to digital CD sources though my Arye C-5xe, but want to re-connect my turntable for the 100 or so odd LP's I have in the closet. My associated equipment is the Aesthetix Calypso preamp and a YBA 2 Alpha amplifier. I'm considering the following:
Creek OBH18, Bellari, VP129, Graham Slee Amp 2 SE, Music Hall, Pro-ject Phonobox SE, or the Pro-ject Tube Box II

Any suggestions as to what would be a decent match for my system/turntable?

Calgarian
calgarian5355

Showing 2 responses by armstrod

armstrod
619 posts
 
Calgarian,

What cartridge are you using? If you have a lower output moving coil, gain may be an issue with some of your choices. Two others you might consider are the Cambridge 640p and the Monolithic PS-1/2. I'm currently using the Monolithic PS-1 with the HC-1b power supply and it's been great for that price range.

In any event, the rest of your system is pretty nice, so I would counsel not spending much at this juncture. If you decide you like vinyl and the whole ritual, I suspect you'll want to upgrade the Axis, cartridge, and phono preamp very quickly. If you decide vinyl doesn't work for you, you won't have much invested.

It's always worth the effort to try vinyl - you might just love it. I do!

David
armstrod
619 posts
 
Calgarian,

In my experience, MM cartridges are far less susceptible to age related degradation than MC, so your K9 may be just fine. I'd stick with a solid state phono preamp for now, and stay under $200 used, which would cover most of your list. If you want to buy new, the Cambridge is a steal here:

http://www.spearitsound.com/Cambridge_Audio/Cambridge_Audio_540p.asp

If you taste vinyl and like it, you'll want to replace your whole analog front end to bring it up to the level of the rest of your system - it's very seductive!
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