Your Ultimate Phono Preamp: Which One Would You Choose?

The Herron VTPH-2A seems to be the top performing phono stage. Though discontinued, it still ranks at the top and is the one other competing units are measured against.

Just got to brag. My DIY battery powered SS with only air caps (variable) and vacuum caps in the signal path. Discrete nude Vishay resistor selector for volume control. Variable cartridge loading. Adjusts for some deviation from RIAA.

Every bell or whistle that I want and nothing else. Could scarcely afford the parts cost, can’t imagine what it would cost from a dealer.

DIY  forever!

My two cents worth goes to the Parasound JC 3.  Have had mine for several years and it’s a great piece of gear.

I’ve never heard another good phono stage w/ my t vinyl set up so I can’t say it’s better or worse than anything else mentioned but I’ve really enjoyed my Art  Audio Vinyl One for over 20 years & it’s still in production today. It’s tubed, plenty of variable gain for low output MC’s , built well & sounds great. I think it’s about $7500 today. 

In the middle '70s Tom Holman looked at the interactions between phone carts and preamps and designed a photo stage that addressed those, and many other issues including an 18dB/octave subsonic filter that effectively kills low frequency woofer flop.That was the Apt 1, and to my ear, a revolution. He combined that with the most intelligent and useful control section I've ever found, like the A-B/AB/A+B knob that let's you dial the image in like nothing else.  thorough makeover a few years back, and it is as extraordinary as ever.