Ifi Phono 2. Amazing piece of equipment. Music Direct gives you a 60 day tryout. Using mine for almost a year and competes with much more expensive preamps. Loads of gain and power plus a wide range of load settings. $500 retail.
Looking for a Phono pre around 1K
Hey all,
My system,
VPI hw-19 mkIII, premier mmt arm, Ortofon bronze 2m, Yaqin 100b KT-88 push pull, Focal 1008be2
I've had :
Cambridge audio 640p that I modded (power supply, opamp sockets, )
Sound: ok , not much soundstage or detail
Yaqin ms23b tube.
Sound; more soundstage, better delineation of vocals and room ambience, still sounds a bit muffled/recessed.
I know those are on the inexpensive side, but after upgrading my speakers to the Focals. I'm hearing hints of things in the recordings that, I'm positive, with a better phono pre could be more fleshed out.
I listen to mainly rock/pop (Bowie, Stones, Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, Carly Simon, jazz)
If I could stay under 1K that would be great.
I'd like more definition, without losing the sweetness of tubes, I know I don't have any tube stages on there but…
I'd like the ability to use a MC cart as well 9I have a Denon 160)
My list so far:
Musical Fidelity - MX-VYNL Mm/Mc
Sutherland - Insight Phono Preamplifier
Musical Surroundings - Nova II
PS Audio Phono Converter (would be great to rip the records)
Any Suggestions are greatly appreciated.
thanks
My system,
VPI hw-19 mkIII, premier mmt arm, Ortofon bronze 2m, Yaqin 100b KT-88 push pull, Focal 1008be2
I've had :
Cambridge audio 640p that I modded (power supply, opamp sockets, )
Sound: ok , not much soundstage or detail
Yaqin ms23b tube.
Sound; more soundstage, better delineation of vocals and room ambience, still sounds a bit muffled/recessed.
I know those are on the inexpensive side, but after upgrading my speakers to the Focals. I'm hearing hints of things in the recordings that, I'm positive, with a better phono pre could be more fleshed out.
I listen to mainly rock/pop (Bowie, Stones, Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, Carly Simon, jazz)
If I could stay under 1K that would be great.
I'd like more definition, without losing the sweetness of tubes, I know I don't have any tube stages on there but…
I'd like the ability to use a MC cart as well 9I have a Denon 160)
My list so far:
Musical Fidelity - MX-VYNL Mm/Mc
Sutherland - Insight Phono Preamplifier
Musical Surroundings - Nova II
PS Audio Phono Converter (would be great to rip the records)
Any Suggestions are greatly appreciated.
thanks
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- 44 posts total
The Brown Audio Labs (BAL) SP-1B tube-driven line/phono stage preamp listed at $850 at the time of Dick Olsher's TAS Review looks promising, but BAL's website doesn't have much information. Maybe if you contact Brown directly you could get more information. |
They're not easy to find, and I don't know what their current status is, but the all-tube, handwired PTP MAGI Phonomenal (last known price $995) should give you exactly what you're looking for. I bought an earlier edition in Aug. 2014 and I'll never part with it. I got a a used earlier version for $750 and I'lll never let it go. The last version that surfaced was $995 with a few more features. Easily worth if if you can find one. |
you need an outboard power supply and large transformer to approach the sound of the "big boys" - e.g. paraasound JC3, manley chinook, lehmann decade (take a look under their "hoods"). you can get there with slightly above $1K with the lehmann black cube se ii. i have one and love the sound that it gives me. |
- 44 posts total