The best phono stage out there?

Hello Ecka,
I've noted, and if others as well read carefully, you make mention of the "Cartridge you intend to use, is the Dyna XV-1S".

Does that mean that you not currently using that Cartridge with your Sutherland PhD? If not, what Cartridge are/were you using, that you make mention of requiring a Audionote SUT with the Sutherland?

Forgive me for asking, or for any confusion, but the Sutherland should be fine all by itself, with the Dyna XV-1, at .3mv without the need of another SUT in the path which might be possibly be further degrading the signal.

The Sutherland PhD has up to 60db Gain with the Stock Gain Boards, and the optional High Gain Boards (About $75 for the Pair) can be gotten I believe from Elusive Disc (That was where I bought mine from). The High Gain Boards are 62-64-66-68 db. Custom Blank Loading Boards can be gotten as well, and custom value Resistors can be soldered in by those handy with a soldering Iron.

The Sutherland PhD is perhaps not the best Phono Stage in the world, but it's forte, which almost no other Phono Stage can rival, is its dead silence, and immunity to EMI, and RFI.
Hope this helps, Mark

Ecka, I am currently using the low output (.24mv) ZYX Airy 3X SB Cartridge. Settings on my Sutherland PhD are 62db Gain (lowest setting on the High gain Boards). I could've used 60db Gain as well, and possibly 64db without detriment. Loading is set at the suggested 100 Ohms, with fine results.

I'm sure all units mentioned here are all of the very best, of this I have no doubt. There will always be just too many variables with any given piece of equipment. What might shine in your system, might sound lackluster, or quite different in another's. I think we can all agree on that much.

And the other is of course, extracting the very best from the equipment you have, and I would bet in quite a few cases, incorrect set-up of Cartridge, and Phono Stage can account for much.

If you do not have such a tool, or a tool of comparable quality, definitely consider a high quality Protractor, such as the Mintlp, sold by Yip in Hong Kong. He's dependable, will ship anywhere in the world, and I'd bet the majority of responders here will all tell you the exact same thing, that the Mintlp Protractor has made very pleasing, notable improvements in all of thier system's sound. I, without any reservation, highly recommend this tool. It is worth its cost. Mark

Ecka, I have owned my Sutherland PhD for a good two years now. The Sutherland PhD IMO does many things well.

Atmasphere of course brings up good points, and I'll agree wholeheartedly, a world class phono stage cannot just be judged by that it does one thing right.

In the course of the past two years, there have been three different Cartridges in my system, a 9-10 year old Benz Micro Glider, which had new life, when the Sutherland was inserted into the system. Then I moved onto the Benz Ruby 3. Of course a better Cartridge, which IMO possessed many similar traits of the Glider, retaining much of that "Benz House Sound", but with some better refinement, and purity of sound.

Then, on a whim, I moved to a new ZYX Airy 3X SB low output Cartridge. Here, was where I finally seen just how well the Sutherland could play, as my pristine LPs took on a CD like quality of dead silence, both from groove silence, and as well, whenever there was the slight tick, or pop on an LP, these were then placed much further in the background versus the other two Benz Cartridges.

There's no doubt about it, that Cartridges as well have a major influence on how a record will sound, and how they handle surface noise, and defects in the groove.

I do believe in general, just like Cartridges, that you usually do get what you pay for, meaning that a $5,000 Phono Stage should outperform a $3,000 one, and usually has a better host of features as well.

Of course, it does too boil down to personal preference Some may try a Manley Steelhead, and come away saying that they didn't like it for whatever personal reasons, and particular likes. Synergy with other quipment is as well very important.

There is one man I know, who is a member here, Sunnyboy1956, who recently sold his Sutherland PhD, and moved onto the Nagra VPS Phono Stage. He uses a Michell Deck, a TriPlanar Arm, and Lyra Skala Cartridge.
Yes, he says the Nagra is an improvement over the Sutherland. Mark