Add a Hagerman Trumpet MC to your consideration. I’ve used it with a 2M Blue and it makes it sound shockingly good. Also works extremely well with very high end MC cartridges like Benz LPS and Koetsu. It’s got twice the signal tubes as the other phonos you’re looking at (6 vs. 3) because the internal circuitry is balanced. And it costs less ($1085) too. Mine arrived in about 1 week from order time, even coming from Hawaii.
It has a warm, open and musical sound, very much like the older wood paneled tower version. I find it is more than quiet enough for most applications, and it has NO trace of hum (thank God, hum drives me crazy), but no it won’t as dead quiet with lo-MC’s (not your application yet) as the multi-kilo-buck phonos. That and its very basic, utilitarian chassis are why it costs less.
I have to say the Decware looks very, very beautiful in its various chassis options (the Zerbawood one makes me feel...things). The Space Tech labs...not so much.
It has a warm, open and musical sound, very much like the older wood paneled tower version. I find it is more than quiet enough for most applications, and it has NO trace of hum (thank God, hum drives me crazy), but no it won’t as dead quiet with lo-MC’s (not your application yet) as the multi-kilo-buck phonos. That and its very basic, utilitarian chassis are why it costs less.
I have to say the Decware looks very, very beautiful in its various chassis options (the Zerbawood one makes me feel...things). The Space Tech labs...not so much.