Phono Stage upgrade to complement Dohmann Helix One Mk 2

@drbond , The CH was also on my list but it fell off due to price and the admission that it's stock power supply is not good enough. They will be happy to sell you a second one so now you have paid for two power supplies instead of the one you should have had t begin with. The L20 gives you the best possible power supply up front, batteries that are disconnected from the line during play. The trickery does not end there either. To reduce noise to extraordinary low levels the L20 uses 20 of the Seta L's gain modules, 10 in each channel. I think this is a computer trick. You increase gain without increasing noise levels and the signal to noise ratio increases. In MkII form it now has multiple inputs and will also run in Voltage mode for higher impedance cartridges. I have no idea why you would want to. With cartridges like the Lyra Atlas SL, Ortofon Verissimo and the My Sonic Platinum Signature there is no need to look elsewhere. (that is going to cause some frowns) The sad part is that there is no way I'll get 60K for a phono stage by my wife. She had a heart attack when I mentioned $25k for a projector. So, I'll have to do with the lowly Seta L Plus. Same circuit with two gain modules, fewer bells and whistles noisier but still very quiet. Could be worse.

What strikes me about "Channel D" and their many products is that they need a PR guy.  First, the name of the product line (Channel D) is non-descript if not misleading (because it makes one think of Class D amplifiers, which are not exactly a la mode with high end audiophiles). Second, the naming of the different phono stages of ascending value makes no coherent sense.  And on top of that, reading the blurbs on their website to understand their design philosophy, I don't get a clear picture.  It's too bad, because their products might be great and might suffer for lack of proper promotion.

Dear @pani  : Mi advise to the OP was and is for the 223 that has 62db on gain and even can go higher if the customer needs and ask to FMA for it.

@mijostyn , you like the numbers and the FMA 223 beats the noise levl of the Channel L20 with its incredible: -137 dBu at full output ! !

At the FMA quality levels it has no single problem to compete and even could outperforms current mode units.

Anyway the 223 is only an OP option good enough as other posted alternatives.

R.

Dear @drbond  : It's useless and even could be futile that you spend thousands of big dollars for a top phono stage as many of the named in the thread only for that excellent quality level coming from the phono stage been destroyed/ruined by your Ypsilon preamp truly poor quality levels against any of the phono stages named here.

If you are not willing to change youfr preamp then you have not worried really wich Phono stage is better because at the end what you will listen be the terrible Ypsilon and all those wires transformers that degrade the signal but it's not only that but its terrble frequency bandwindt and several other critical issues.

Then which your point or the other gentlemans ones?

My point is that you need at least the same quality levels/design in the line preamp than in the phono stage. Same for your amps where I gave you the advise to go for the JC1+ monoblocks that makes a in heaven mate with the Soundlabs.

R.

@rauliruegas 

While I appreciate your recommendations, I will have to admit that such dramatic and extreme comments such as you have mentioned about the Ypsilon products make me question the validity of some of your perspectives.  I've never heard music any better than with the Ypsilon amplifier and pre-amplifier.  Even with my "lowly" Manley Steelhead connected to they Ypsilons, the performers sound like they're in my room, so I'm looking forward to hearing how much improvement there is with an upgraded phono stage.  

Perhaps you're correct that another amplifier, like a DartZeel, would perform better than the Ypsilon, perhaps not; perhaps they just render slightly different presentations.  I highly doubt the JC1+ would produce anything close to what I currently hear.  

Regardless, please just stick with discussion about phono stages on this thread. 
Thanks.