What's A Good Upgrade From A Manley Steelhead?

Dear @rooze : " but we invariably lose ’something’ and ..."

Trade-offs always exist in the audioworld and unfortunatelly for the tube lovers are accustomed to those high kind of distortions and these is what you lose changing to the SS alternative but is not a "sad/good " lose. In the same way that you will miss in the short time that " lose " in a short time you will start to " accustom " of the new kind of " distortions " ( if any ) with the 610LP.

Every one of us have their specific targets in our room/system, mine is to stay nearer to the recording and if with my SS phono stage I add and lost the less of what cartridge pick up from the LP grooves then I’m nearer to the recording because through tubes that add/lost is higher that what you could imagine.

My feeilng ( I can be wrong ) is that you are a MUSIC lover that know the live MUSIC kind of sounds. Now if you are waiting that the SS alternative gives you " more of the same " but " better " then don't take that " road " and stay as you are.

My take too is that @drbond ( I can be wrong ) think that you are just an audiophile and follower of the corrupted AHEE. I don't.

R.

Dear @rooze : Things are that I used for at least 10 years tube alternative everywhere, so I have the whole tube first hand experiences.

" I’m concerned about sacrificing some musicality (tubes) for musical accuracy (solid-state) and not realizing that there’s been a retrograde step in musical enjoyment until it’s too late....i "

Look, if you attend at a concert and the people surrounded you are not audiophiles and you mention talking with one of them the word " musicality " you can be sure that he will ask you what exactly do you mean with that.

I attend at least each week to listen live MUSIC and I can tell you that even with some gentlemans that are audiophile and when we are talking about the score we listened no one mentioned that word. What we can hear from them is: emotive, dynamic power, feelings, even ( depending how near you was seated from the source ) brigthness or harsness, transients response speed and the like but not: musicality, detail, warm, lush, nuances that are tube audiophile adjectives.

Now, I know what you mean by musicality and today in almost all SS electronics accurated is not " figthing " any more with musicality, both terms are true and live together in today well designed SS electronics.

Yes, @mijostyn is totally rigth and I agree with him not because both coincide about but because it’s a reality.

Sooner or later for the MUSIC lovers that " adopted " the tube sound signature will know the " true " that just are not willing not to accept it but even try it.

If at the end you decide to buy the 610/810 LP unit you have to take in count that that accuracy of the Moon unit will tell you all what’s happening in your system and maybe somethings you could not be totally satisfied  and this could happens in your system because nothing could be " hidden " behind the SS unit when with tubes that " hidden " happens day by day minute after minute. Anyway, you can be sure that the 610LP gives you nothing but what the cartridge pick-up from the LP grooves adding and losting almost nothing but MUSIC.

R.

@rooze  : I can see that you are way demanding with that " bass " in the PS Audio unit.

Fremer was using the WA  ALEXX paired with Dartzeel Monoblocks and top of the line Dartzeel phonolinepreamp, no tubes at all an in true high resolution system and I think that the Stellar made a great job down there that any Allnic/Manley/VAC or tube unit can touch it.

As the Dartzeel or the CH the PS Audio phono stage is not perfect but for the " huge " 2.5K price tag you can't ask for more.

R.

Dear @ghdprentice : " my rule is double the cost or it is likely a sideways step. "

Well, it looks as you really don’t read yet the link of the PS Audio Stellar phono stage that comes with a  low price tag of 2.5k and using Ortofon Diamond and Lyra Atlas, SAT tonearm, Continnum TT , Mr. Fremer compares it to over 20 times price tag with phono stages like Dartzeel and the same CH that drbond own which who you agree, go figure.

Fremer " insert " the Stellar in a cost no object room/system and performed at that levels. Of course that if you " insert " the Stellar in a mid-fi system it does not converts the system in a cost no object.

Your rule? fine with me.

R.

Dear @drbond  : "  I think an upgrade should be 50-100% more in price, otherwise you’re just looking at different. "

Upgrade an audio system link has its real foundation not in the price that at the end could be tell you almost nothing other that it's more expensive. The foundation of that upgrade belongs to the engeenering level and build quality of the unit manufacturer and you can besure that the 610 does not envy your CH about.

R.

Dear @rooze  : As you already knew Moon is a low profile manufacturer with a very high quality and knowledge engeenering and build quality second to none. Here you can read about the 610Lp:

Simaudio MOON Evolution 610LP phonostage (tonepublications.com)

201506_simaudio_guts.jpg (765×510) (soundstagehifi.com)

Tube units can't really compete with this level of SS unit. Just splendid.

R.

Here at the other extreme what could be the phono stage " bargain ". Read carefully the review and even if you could not care take a look to the J.Atkinson real time measurements. The unit is way way better than what's price could tells us and yes it's an upgrade from your Manley.

In the other side the worst audio system place to use/have tube alternative is at the prhono stage link:

R.

Dear @rooze  : My mistake sorry.

This is the rigth unit I was talking about:

R.

Dear @rooze  : If you stretch your budget this one not only beats your Manley but it's a very hard to be outperformed phono stage:

740P Preamp | Best Audiophile Audio Preamplifier | MOON - Simaudio

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.