Celebration vs Blackbird

Dear Alun: I don't know nothing about your phonopreamp, so I can't tell you if it is true that the MM stage is better than the MC stage on it, other than if the MC stage use internal step up transformers then it is better if you go for the blackbird.

The Celebration is a better quality sound performer with the right gain ( with out external/internal SUT ) phonopreamp and I never had any tracking problem with it in any record.

Now, in my opinion, the phonopreamp is the most important link on an analog rig, if you want to take out the best of your analog rig you have to put your money in the best phonopreamp that you can buy on your budget. You will be rewarded if you do so.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Alun: +++++ " An excellent phono stage will not help a poor cartridge " +++++

No it not help to the cartridge, it will help to you telling you that that cartridge is a poor performer, in a normal phonopreamp ( not an excellent one ) maybe you can't know that that cartridge is a poor performer because it have not the quality resolution for to " tell it ".

Some other time we can talk about: this is a critical subject in the anolog music sound reproduction and like I already post and in my experience the phonopreamp is the most important link in the analog reproduction, yes I know that every single link is important but the phonopreamp task is a very special and critical one.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Alun: Congratulations!!!!!

Yes, the Celebration is a great performer. Good news for you: after 100 hours this " baby "really shine, you will see.

Till to now I'm always post that the Celebration is the " century bargain " an outperforms several of the very top high/price cartridges out there.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.