2. analog
  3. 164540-75156

Good reasonably priced phono stage recommendation

Greetings. I have a Thorens 140 with an SME arm and an ADC cartridge. I’m in the process of getting a new primary system, most likely Benchmark. For my secondary system I have Wyred 4 Sound integrated with the new Black Ice tube DAC that sounds great. The speakers are Larsen 6.2. I listen to high res files on an iMac and high quality CDs on a Rega Apollo. Occasionally I listen to LPs for things that were never transferred to CD, and using the Thorens is an exercise in nostalgia. So what is a good phono amp given all this? I had a Rega MM once and thought it was basically satisfactory. Possibly something with tubes? Any advice is appreciated. 
128x128rtorchia
jasonbourne52's avatar
jasonbourne52
2,863 posts
 
Schiit Mani ($129) will get the job done - and sound excellent! Why pay more?
kro77
69 posts
 
I think lots of options, I have the hagerman and jolida both are good. I like the hagerman more for twice the price.
vegasears
1,173 posts
 
@dell agreed.  I've owned a Jolida for years without issue.  It's hard to beat a phono stage with it own 111 page thread. 
rtorchia's avatar
rtorchia OP
130 posts
 
As things worked out I found a little British made Creek integrated from 1998 that sounds great and is in perfect condition. Amazingly Creek still sells the phono card that one can put inside to activate the phono/ aux. stage. A local expert loves the Schiit and your other recommendations were great. I went this way because the last thing I need is yet another box and power supply gathering dust on the shelf. Creek users love the phono card; back then the CD reigned supreme and Creek made the phono an extra. I wrote the Creek distributor Music Hall to find out which phono card I needed and they ignored me. But the people in England were extremely helpful and told me they are still producing them. Thanks everyone. 
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