Phono stage--please help


I am interested in a new phono stage for my Linn table w/Akito arm and van den Hul MC-one low output moving coil. I also use a van den Hul MM-one moving magnet. My amp and preamp are Adcom. I have an Electrocompaniet CD player and LOVE the sound, very analog. I have been using Monolithic Sound ps-1 and hc-1 and they sound bright to me. I am considering the Electrocompaniet phono stage and the EAR. Anyone have any experience w/these phono stages? Any other recommendations for around $1000-$1300??
Thanks for any info.
sc53

Showing 1 response by sedond

i used to use an electrocompaniet ec-1a preamp, & its fono-stage was excellent, so ya may like the current ecp-1. after that, i used a linn kairn, & its built-in fono-stage was better than the gnu musical-surroundings phonomena i tried w/a later kairn w/o fono, so the linto may also be a good choice. also, when i was looking for fono-stages, more than one person told me that the acurus p10 was much nicer than the lehmann black cube that has also gotten raves. as mondial's bigger brother, the aragon 47k retails for only $600, this may also be worthwhile inwestigating.

however, since ya use a solid-state pre, i'd recommend a toobed fono-stage. no experience w/these... *i* am wery happy w/a pentagon ps-3, a ~$1800 fono-stage that i got at an almost give-away price, cuz no one in the usa has ever heard of it. discovery cable used to carry them, dunno if they still do. while it's solid-state, w/my toobed melos preamp, it's fantastic! the musical surroundings was positively mid-fi in comparison.

all the above said, for ~$1k, ditch the adcom, buy a melos sha-gold reference or maestro, & yule be in fat-city for *all* yer sources - even the fono-stage yure currently using, i'd wager... ;~)

good luck, doug s.