BTW, NOTHING MATTERS except what a specific phono stage sounds like. All Raul's pontification and lack of engineering credibility don't hold water. The only thing that does is performance. Tubes have shown many times to be superior to solid state. IMO, the Herron Audio Phono Stage, particularly the VTPH-2A, are consistently among the very best available at any cost. Period. I know of no phono stage, tube or solid state, that betters the VTPH-2a and few, if any, that equal its PERFORMANCE. It's how it sounds that counts. PERIOD. END OF REPORT. END OF REVIEW. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.