need advice for budget preamp for Rega p3-24...

After five months of use, the Cambridge Audio 640p I bought used on the 'gon DIED. It was used, so no warranty. Ugh.

Who repairs these things at good rate? I opened it up and nothing looked obviously bad, loose, or scorched. Power supply worked fine, too. Hmm.

So I just bought a Rega Fono online for under $200 used.

Would have liked to buy a lejonklou kinki 3, but at over $900 (with tax), i just can't see how it is 4x better than rega fono. I know it's better (I heard it) but my ears are a little bigger than my wallet right now.

IMO if you're going to spend less than $200 the Cambridge 640P is IT. Cleanest, fastest, quietest, and articulate without being edgy. The NAD and Parasound may sound pleasant and musical, but the 640P gives you a taste of high end inner detail, resolution, and musicality.

If you go up to $400, I see a couple of other candidates--the Vincent PHO-8 at $359 and the partially tube-driven Jolida JD 9A. The Vincent is similar to the sub-$200 phono pre's in that it has fixed values for the MM and mc inputs, but is a notch above with a big, separate chassis power supply instead of a wall wart. The Jolida OTOH has a full-width chassis with big onboard power supply and a combo of tubes and op-amps to provide a prodigious amount of gain--up to 95dB.

I just graduated from the Cambridge 640P to the Jolida JD 9A a couple of weeks ago. I was fortunate enough to have a pair of NOS mil-std Sylvania 5751's to swap in for the supplied 12AX7s. It sounded good out of the box but has improved significantly in the 2 weeks I've had it.

The Jolida is very configurable like the better phono stages. It has three banks of DIP switches, a set of three for adjusting gain level, a set of four for impedance for MC cartridges, and a set of four for capacitance for MM/MI cartridges. Actually, double those figures because there's a set for each channel. On top of that there are low and higher level output jacks.

The Jolida lists at $450 but you can sometimes find it for less. I got an open box demo for $380.

There are also used deals as others have mentioned. I had a chance at a Musical Surroundings Phonomena II ($600 list) for $389, but I had to pass because its minimum capacitance setting is 200pF (plus the 100pF in my turntable cable) and my cartridge sounds its best at 150pF total. Other cartridges have different needs, and the Phonomena II is often considered the best sub-$1K phono pre out there.

Another thing about the Jolida, though, you can improve it quite a bit with little tweaks--tube dampers, better vibration damping feet or Vibrapods, damping sheets on the cover, and swapping the tubes for better current production or NOS ones.

Beyond that there are modification packages out there for upgrading the JD 9A as well.

I'm tempted by the delicious idea to buy ALL of the competing phono preamps from Audio Advisor (or wherever) and then doing blind a/b/c/d/e/f listening comparisons--and sending all but one back as insufficiently warm, liquid, quiet, dimensional, empathetic, forgiving, entrancing, and simpatico with my, umm, mild system.

But that would require several new credit cards. That we can't do this is one of the frustrations and defining features of this hobby, at least for someone in a Midwestern college town. Hopefully this roster of suggestions (above) will help future soul in my condition.

BTW: after bidding on a Graham Slee (and being declined), I just purchased a used Cambridge Audio 640p via audiogon for $125. Hopefully that will be a good start!

Not a bad idea actually...buy ALL the phono preamps from Audio Advisor and audition them for 30 days. You could generate pages of reviews and become an instantly esteemed member of the opinionista. 640P update: This is a GREAT piece of gear that sounds even better after 2 days of warmup.

You might consider the Parasound Zphono -- I bought on a lark, because it was inexpensive, and was surprisingly impressed -- so much so that I eventually bought its big brother, the JC-3, to serve as my primary phono stage.

Your comments indicate that you will probably be purchasing remotely. If so, the Zphono and the Cambridge Audo units are all available from Audio Advisor, which offers a thirty-day return policy, which would let you pick one and audition it in your own home.

I use the Bellari with my P5, and that is a good combo. However, the only other one I have had in my system was the Project Tube Box SE, which was nowhere near as good, especially for full scale orchestra/opera.

I saw a demo PS GCPH on Music Direct on clearance for a great price--plus you would get the warranty. I love mine.

I would look for an older PV series conrad johnson.

Chuck

Strong second for the Graham Slee Amp 2!

Thanks, folks.

So I've been researching all these suggestions--up to 14 now!

Unfortunately, the chance to audition and compare them is negligible where I live. How frustrating. So I read up on these little boxes.

I know grade inflation well as a teacher, but, wow, the reviews for most of these (it seems) take place around Lake Woe-be-gone, where all the phono stages are above average (at least). I don't want to get more phono stage than my rig can audibly show off. But oh man I want to play those Lester Bowie records...

I'm using CA 640P with my P3-24. Considering the price I'm satisfied.

Couple more worth auditioning: Grado PH-1 and Musical Surroundings Phonomena, both within your budget used.

Happy listening!

I just (meaning JUST) scored a new Cambridge 640P and even without much break-in it sounds VERY good...quiet and clear as a bell (Akito/AT440mla). I needed a rumble filter also and that feature narrowed my cheap phono-pre search to the 640P and a Bellari...2 Bellari sellers here BOTH flaked (dude...if you sell it take it off the site!) on me so afte more research I went with the 640p...and I'm glad!

There are Simaudio Moon LP3, Lehmann Cube, Pro-Ject Phono Box SE.

RE: the GCPH, I see a few listed now a little above your price target, but I think they can go for around your budget (they run about $1k new). Apologies - I neglected to price check before posting!

PS Audio GCPH second hand - great for the price, and versatile.

Oh, thanks, thanks, for these ideas. I will research them. I should note that the Rega p3-24 has a MM cartridge (elys 2; would possibly upgrade to exact later).

Any particular reasons why these recommended preamps hit the sweet spot at this (admittedly meager) price point?

I dream of tubey warmth but wonder if anything in this price range can really pull that off, despite the nice reviews of budget bellaris. I just don't want anything to add coldness (in the name of analytical precision) into this sound chain. I like to the woodiness of nice instruments, above all, and the resonance.

Try the NAD PP-2. It accepts MC and MM cartridges and it is very quiet and very cheap. I think it sells for 149 dollars brand new and used it goes for about 70 dollars. That should help your budget.