You should look for an Aesthetix Rhea (used) in your price range.
At under $3K a great phono stage.
Also a +1 on the Luxman Phono.
At under $3K a great phono stage.
Also a +1 on the Luxman Phono.
Phonostage recommendations under $3K
Folks,
I am looking to step up from my current Parasound ZPhono XRM (still under 60 days audition trial). To be honest, I am quite pleased with its performance, feature set and flexibility. I mean what else you can expect from a $600 phono. While I enjoyed listening to vinyl through XRM, I feel there is room for improvement and XRM may be the weakest link in my vinyl setup. And since XRM is the only phono I’ve experienced in my setup, I don’t have quite have a reference point. So what else should I be considering under $3K?
I prefer a relaxed and slightly warm sound since I mostly listen to jazz genre.
I started to put together a list list based on sound quality and flexibility with gain and impedance settings.
Parasound JC 3+ Phono Pre
Allnic H-1202
Leben RS30 EQ (requires a SUT for MC Cart)
I hear high praises on Herron VTPH-2A but it’s bit more than I would like to spend at this time.
My current vinyl setup, Thorens TD1601, ZPhono XRM, Hana ML (low output - 0.4mv), Accuphase E-650 and Tannoy Canterbury’s.
I would really appreciate some recommendations based on your personal experiences. Thank you!
I am looking to step up from my current Parasound ZPhono XRM (still under 60 days audition trial). To be honest, I am quite pleased with its performance, feature set and flexibility. I mean what else you can expect from a $600 phono. While I enjoyed listening to vinyl through XRM, I feel there is room for improvement and XRM may be the weakest link in my vinyl setup. And since XRM is the only phono I’ve experienced in my setup, I don’t have quite have a reference point. So what else should I be considering under $3K?
I prefer a relaxed and slightly warm sound since I mostly listen to jazz genre.
I started to put together a list list based on sound quality and flexibility with gain and impedance settings.
Parasound JC 3+ Phono Pre
Allnic H-1202
Leben RS30 EQ (requires a SUT for MC Cart)
I hear high praises on Herron VTPH-2A but it’s bit more than I would like to spend at this time.
My current vinyl setup, Thorens TD1601, ZPhono XRM, Hana ML (low output - 0.4mv), Accuphase E-650 and Tannoy Canterbury’s.
I would really appreciate some recommendations based on your personal experiences. Thank you!
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- 110 posts total
+1 for the Moon - I have the LP 5.3 RS - basically it’s an earlier version of the 310LP I didn’t get the associated power supply, but I installed the best cables and it rewarded me with exceptional sound quality - extremely detailed - stunning clarity - balanced/neutral tone - i.e. not pushy at any point across the frequency range - great bass reproduction - superb imaging - very quiet - no hum - even at full volume (no music playing) - can configure to most MM or MC cartridges My only complaint is - you have to remove the cover to get to the switches to configure the unit to the cartridge - , but I’m not one for changing my cartridges, so basically I "set it and forget it" Been using it for around 7 years and it hasn’t skipped a beat Simaudio Moon is a Canadian company with a stellar reputation for quality designs/builds - they ripple the latest developments down to their lower end models. I looked a photo’s of both the 5.3 and the 310 internals and I could not see any difference - so the model # change was not due to a significant internal revamp If you are lucky you might find a previously enjoyed model.5.3 or 310 I found this demo 5.3 model https://www.musicdirect.com/phono-preamps/simaudio-moon-lp53-silver-demo And these used 310 models https://tmraudio.com/simaudio-moon-310lp-mm-mc-phono-preamplifier-310-lp/ https://www.ebay.com/itm/224165209480 Regards - Steve |
- 110 posts total