best phono stage under 10k

I second the suggestion on Whest Audio phono stages.
Built with beautiful design internally, Clarity Capacitors, full suspension on the main boards to isolate the electronics from the case, hand matched discreet components, on and on.... I am on my second phono preamp from Whest with my recent upgrade and the performance is just outstanding: amazing detail pulled from the recording, a noise free black background (you would not even know it’s on if you didn’t see the two power on LED’s for each mono section).

No comparison to the PH 10 I had before, we are talking performance which is by far in another league over the PH 10; my Whest makes the Gold Note sound like the NAD PP2e entry level phono stage I first had years ago.

For under $10K, you can pick up the new PS.40 RDT SE which is just one step down from the Titan Pro. The Titan Pro will set you back around $13K and if you can stretch the budget a bit, I’d get a Titan Pro; it’s really from what I am told (I have not heard it myself) nirvana of phono preamps. But the 40 series is going to get you something which is still cuts above other offerings out there. The Titan Pro is going to be my next upgrade when funds are available.


When I picked up my first Whest, I had three other phono stages on the shelf, all in the $1500 to $2500 range and one Clear Audio Smart V2 which is around $700.  My Whest Three Signature which is a $4K unit just blew all of these out of the water, I mean it was a huge difference in performance.  I used the Three for the summer and ordered a custom built mid level Whest, meaning around a $6K unit, and it took things up to another notch higher.  Same house sound, but the detail is just jaw dropping.  FYI, the cartridge in the system is an Ortofon A90 MC.  But I also used a vintage AT20ss MM (my Whest input was customized for 20 pf to match perfectly with the AT20ss).  So the performance is equally  as outstanding in MC as is MM.

Simaudio produces dead silent phono, even tomb like silent.

Not much of the above is helpful to the OP, I wouldn't think, unless there is some factual information about immunity to RFI.  The fact that a unit is "quiet" in one's own home is not evidence it would be quiet in the OP's high-RFI environment.  But then also, the OP can do a lot to improve isolation by messing around a bit with ancillary items, like cables, AC cords, etc.

I recommend the Pass XP-27, which is a major upgrade from the XP-17 and not just in terms of convenience. It is dead quiet and I doubt pretty much anything else can convey as much detail, while also sounding full and rich like a tube unit.

In the last 50 years I’ve owned no fewer than 22 phono pre’s. 

Some have been very nice units, others pretty much run of the mill.

A month ago I bought a phono pre that was the only 1 to literally make my jaw drop! Finally! The mysterious veil was removed from my phono system! I’m now busy rediscovering my cart collection, as each one sounds new.

For me, this has turned out to be the best expenditure of $2,500 I’ve ever made, as the results are so stark and noticeable! 

PS Audio Stellar phono pre.