I have the Zesto Andros 1.0 and the Luxman EQ-500 and I love both. You can't go wrong with the new Zesto or the Luxman. If I had to pick, I think I would go with the Luxman. I prefer the retro look of the Luxman and the build quality is fantastic. The Luxman is in my basement system with a Rega P10/ Apheta 3. The Zesto is in my living room system with a Linn LP12, Radikal power supply, Ekos SE arm and Akiva MC cartridge. I prefer vacuum tube phono stages because I can roll tubes to achieve the SQ that matches my preferences. The Zesto and the Luxman are very quiet phono stages with a lot of options to match a variety of cartridges.
Phono stage recommendations
Hi,
Getting that "upgrade itch" again. I am currently using a Tavish Adagio phono with the upgraded SUTs, which sounds pretty darn good! However, I'm looking at several alternatives; Zesto Audio Andros Deluxe II (the top of my budget), Luxman EQ500, for tube units and the Sim Audio 610 LP or the Whest 40 RDT as the SS contenders. Whichever one I choose, it must have balanced outputs and cannot be over 5 inches high due to space limitations of my equipment rack. My cart is a Kiseki PH N.S. which I will hold on to for the time being, but I may decide to move on to something else later on. Both my preamp and amp are SS and the amp runs in class A. I think I'm still partial to tubes, although I am willing to keep an open mind. I am hoping that the next purchase will be an "endgame" phono stage for me.
The Zesto is a new design, the Luxman design is several years old but likely will remain in the lineup for a number of years given the history of their previous phono stages. The Sim Audio looks like it may be nearing the end if its 10 year life cycle, since it has been around for 7-8 years. The Whest 40 series was introduced in 2019? Just like most others in this hobby, I hate when I buy something only to have a newer model introduced soon after. Anyway.
Any thoughts? Thanks.
Getting that "upgrade itch" again. I am currently using a Tavish Adagio phono with the upgraded SUTs, which sounds pretty darn good! However, I'm looking at several alternatives; Zesto Audio Andros Deluxe II (the top of my budget), Luxman EQ500, for tube units and the Sim Audio 610 LP or the Whest 40 RDT as the SS contenders. Whichever one I choose, it must have balanced outputs and cannot be over 5 inches high due to space limitations of my equipment rack. My cart is a Kiseki PH N.S. which I will hold on to for the time being, but I may decide to move on to something else later on. Both my preamp and amp are SS and the amp runs in class A. I think I'm still partial to tubes, although I am willing to keep an open mind. I am hoping that the next purchase will be an "endgame" phono stage for me.
The Zesto is a new design, the Luxman design is several years old but likely will remain in the lineup for a number of years given the history of their previous phono stages. The Sim Audio looks like it may be nearing the end if its 10 year life cycle, since it has been around for 7-8 years. The Whest 40 series was introduced in 2019? Just like most others in this hobby, I hate when I buy something only to have a newer model introduced soon after. Anyway.
Any thoughts? Thanks.