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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.
grk

Showing 1 response by varyat

varyat's avatar
varyat
145 posts
 
I like Whest stages. I have had three and currently sit with the MC Ref V. It is the best phono stage I have heard in my system ( Vitus SIA 030, Dohmann Helix 2, Schroeder CB, Lyra Etna SL). I also have an Allnic H-7000 that I run with my LP 12. 
Whest phono stages are flexible, sensibly sized for your rack and really get down to the heart of the music. They are very high resolution, clean and just plain boogie.
If it makes you feel any better, John Henriot can customize your phono stage for your needs and has been known to accept trade -in's of prior models if you want to upgrade in the Whest line at a very fair value. I would get in touch with him via email and discuss your needs- he is a very pleasant bloke :) FYI, MOFI will be distributing Whest phono stages in the USA very soon. Prior dealer, Jay Kaufmann in San Diego, has retired. Also, the customer reviews on the Whest website may give you some interesting reading...
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