2. analog
  3. 154237-119498

Herron VTPH-2A or Manley Chinook mk II phonostage

Anyone have a direct comparison with these two phonostage’s  the Herron and Manley. I currently have a Soundsmith MCP2 MK II with a Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC ⭐️
I also am looking to upgrade my tt, and lets say my head has been spinning. 5-8000 range

current system
primaluna hp premium integrated 
focal Sopra 2
rel s/5 sub
luxman sm-150 cd
marantz tt-151S ( the one Clear audio built)
cardas parasec interconnects 

some tt I have been considering
dr Feickert - woodpecker or Blackbird
vpi
Vertere 
EAT Forte S Fatismo

not a lover of the round look

also have a VPI Classic 3 gently used offered to me by a very reliable source for 3 k

any help is welcomed as I have become overwhelmed.
 
Thanks
peter 


128x128tastypeter
audition__audio
1,303 posts
 
We just sold a Zesto Audio Andros Deluxe phono stage that replaced a Manley Chinook. This customer said that the Zesto was significantly better in every way. To be far there is a significant difference in retail price. He immediately sold the Chinook after he took delivery of the Deluxe. I hope to be able to compare the Zesto offerings to the Herron in the near future. The Herron is very good.
lewm
12,432 posts
 
Corucia, You say the Herron was "measurably" superior to the Chinook.  I take your assessment of the two units seriously, because you heard them both in your own system over an extended period of time, but in fact, unless you neglected to report it, you didn't "measure" anything.  Best just to say you like the Herron better than the Chinook.  Also, beware the provenance of sexy 12AX7/ECC83s that claim to be Telefunken or Mullard or etc.  There are probably more fakes than real ones of those available in the marketplace these days, especially the TFK ECC801S's.
noromance's avatar
noromance
9,394 posts
 
You say the Herron was "measurably" superior to the Chinook.
I'm almost certain this is a figure of speech. 
audition__audio
1,303 posts
 
lewm,
I dont know where you get your information from, but fake Telefunkens and Mullards and relatively rare and nearly impossible to fake correctly.  I have never known any fakes that can duplicate the Tele "diamond" or the characteristic internal structure of these tubes. Same with the internal structure of Philips Europe tubes as well as the acid etched codes which are present. Differentiating Matsushita 9 pins from Philips Europe is a bit more difficult but still no complicated. A bit of quick research and you can spot fakes from some distance. 
corucia
2 posts
 
lewm, the comment I made re: measurably better was intended to be read as a synonym for significantly, materially, etc. I thought it was clear from my write-up that the only insights I shared were derived from my listening experience and not measurement equipment (and as those of us with tube-based systems will know, analytical measurements aren’t always indicative of sound quality).
More to discover