Best Phono You've Heard Under $2200

@dhite71  thanks I will look into that depending on how I feel about the Sutherland.

I mean, if I can find a Herron at $2200 I would probably go for it. I really only need the MM section anyway. There's one on the 'bay for $2k but it looks kind of rough and the seller can't guarantee it works.

Anyone heard the Aurorasound Vida? Rothwell Rialto?

just curious

@herbreichert  I've heard the bass is soft and its an overly fast amp. DO you agree with this? I had looked into this earlier and something turned me off to it but I don't recall what it was exactly. Possibly the gain.

@sandthemall  please do. I have been eyeing that one but the gain and cap is high for me and I don't know if it matters that much

I can probably stretch my budget a bit if its wirth it. I freely admit the Herron would be a great pickup. Decware ZP3 but thats like a year + wait. My research on the ZP3 seems like a no brainer. MM only, and the reviews and such all point to a sound I am looking for. I didn't at first but am warming to the "Frankenstein's lab" aesthetic.

If anyone is selling a Herron hit me up wink wink nudge nudge.

What is the difference between the Insight and 20/20 and PHD? I know the 20/20 is a higher end model vut I can’t see what the upgrades are.

@tim_p  There’s a few used easily in budget but the computers worry me. Also the cap might be too high for my cart but I see many with 220pf. I run MM/MI only (at least for the forseeable future) and so it seems like I would be wasting most of this thing’s functionality.

@sandthemall 

The loading at 220pf wasn't an issue? Its one of the things that has me concerned with Trumpet and a few others.

@sandthemall  very nice. I emailed them about changing the 220pf to 100pf and was told no on that. I'd be curious to compare the Trumpet to the Decware.

@tablejockey  since capacitance affects the sound I don't see how it's a non issue. I spent way more for low cap phono cables which I would not have done if I didn't have to. MM/MI carts sounds can be changed by cap. I'm not running MC but maybe in the future I will.

@avanti1960  there's no doubt the Sutherland is good. Maybe even great. I guess it's not exciting for what ever reason. Sounds dumb I agree. It's nothing to look at and by all accounts sounds like nothing. I can get one used so I'm debating it. If it doesn't excite me I can sell for what I bought for.

my OCD is in overdrive haha

Yeah so I did a thing. 20/20 is incoming. To be honest I'm not as excited as I want to be about it but the rave reviews  and the feverish fanboy-ism has me in. Found one for a crazy good price so....in a few days I hope I'll be drinking the Kool Aid too.

@sokogear  yes you re very correct. I admittedly don't know where my cart journey is headed. I currently have a Nag 150 w/ the 200 (Boron) stylus. I like it but there's obviously better.  I'd like a Nag 500 and to try a Goldring 1042, Garrott and some tigress. I'll eventually end up going MC at sound point but who knows when.

for now an excellent MM preamp is the goal. I have a used 20/20 coming because the price was low s d I can resell it if it's not for me. I had been set on a Decware but the 7 month build times are now 11+ months (and there's 800 people further back on the list). I've soured on the whole experience so I decided to see what else I should research into oblivion and possibly cancel the order.

@johnto  P5xe?

@avanti1960   For the last like 5 years I have been using the Lounge LCR MKIII. It sounds fine and I have no issue with it. I forget about it sometimes but its not an endgame piece. Its never been upgraded and was bought when it was the darling of another forum.

It will go into a Quicksilver Linestage Preamp (12AT7 version with Mullard CV 4024s) and into an Odyssey Khartago (with upgrades). Phono and interconnects  are Audio Envy (speaker cables to come soon but currently Morrow SP-4's)

@avanti1960 

I'm hoping for a little shock and awe. If I can cancel my pre-order because I like the Sutherland I save some cash. Which is always nice. Especially for me.

@nwres  Definitely thread that up once you have it. I am on an unofficial waiting list and am very interested in the Don Sachs.

Quick note and not to derail my own thread.

20/20 arrived today getting first listens. It’s been on roughly 2 hours before I got a disc on. It’s a used unit and no idea how much time is on it already. It may have the new top as it was easy to get on and off.

Aurally, it’s interesting. Less mid bass but that seems to make the bass drum more pronounced. It could be the Lounge was smearing things in the midbass. Don’t know. Vocals however are for more centered and seem to sit in front of everything else, which is not something I’ve experienced before. Music also seems to emanate from beyond the width of the speakers. So I hear what reviewers have mentioned about wanting a touch more body to the sound, but it could also be those frequencies being more “organized”.

So far it has no problems with anything I’ve thrown at it, Gene Ammons, Napalm Death, Sonic Youth, Cramps, Godflesh, Peter Tosh, Muddy Waters, etc. It definitely has a more “hifi” feel to the sound as it’s very sharp and defined.

@sokogear  I was able to net a 20/20 at a great price. Impressed so far but hoping the midbass fills in some.

what does the LPS bring to the sound? There doesn’t seem to be a consensus.

@vonharaland  so far I can say the things people rave about in the 20/20 are definitely true. Giving it a few Weeks to (hopefully) fill out the sound. 

@helomech  I figured as much. Honestly I really liked it. If the lounge had the detail and speed of the Sutherland I’d never upgrade.

The bummer is that the Lounge has been the oldest piece of gear and so voicing my system includes its sound. So it’s like 2 steps forward (speed and detail) and 1 step back (warmth). 
 

I hate buying gear. I truly hate it.

@sokogear  good to know thanks.

@avanti1960 

I have been researching loading. Its a Nagaoka moving iron. Its predictably set to 40db @ 47k. I wondered if loading might help but HeavyMech is so right baout the Lounge. I found graphs from ASR and its big. Personally if I could have say 25% of the Lounge bump I'd be happy. But as he noted anything after the Lounge will take some getting used to.

I did spin a few records yesterday and I like all of what I hear. Ironically its now given my system some of that holographic sound I heard so much about. My tubed linestage didn't do that but the SS phono did. Go figure. But as I said, the Lounge is the last piece from the old system and so voicing has been done with the Lounge in it. So this changes the overall balance.Its more mid-heavy than I am used to but am letting it ride for now.

Mt phono cables are the Audio Envy Phono Deluxe cables @ 1 meter long. The specs listed are:

Measuring a leads capacitance of 3.8pF per foot.

So after a couple weeks with the 20/20 I can say its taken my vinyl enjoyment up a notch. Ironically its made my system sound more holographic than adding tubes.

I wish Sutherland made a linestage, I'd be in for that. I cancelled the order on the other preamp and am content with this. Perhaps at some point in the future I'll add the LPS.