what’s wrong with the aesthetics of the JC 3+? Parasound is one of the few companies who cares about design
Most high-end audio components are hideous looking.
My analog journey - time for a new phono stage or?
With help from members of the forum, several years ago I upgraded the cartridge on my then primary turntable. A year later I purchased a Musical Surroundings Phonomena II+ phono stage after demoing it at my house against a comparably priced Soundsmith unit. Last year I took the plunge and purchased from Upscale Audio a Rega P6 with a Sumiko Songbird low output MC cartridge. I purchased after demoing a Clearaudio Concept and the Rega locally, deciding Upscale was more knowledgeable than that dealer.
My virtual system can be viewed for all the details, but key components are the downstream Ayre Acoustics K-5xe preamplifier, Proceed HPA-2 amplifier and Aerial Acoustics Model 8b speakers.
My issue is that I find that while the new turntable and cartridge definitely improved the detail/clarity of the sound reproduction, both the low and high ends seems to be missing complete extension and the soundstage is rather two dimensional, although instrument and vocalist placement and separation are very good and there is a seemingly clean background with no noticeable noise. I make these judgements compared to my digital front end, listening to the same albums/tracks on both. I don't necessarily expect to match the sonics of my digital gear, as I realize analog can be far more costly. FYI, I listen primarily to classical and jazz, some vintage rock, but typically acoustic music. My wife and I both play musical instruments and we attend live concerts, so we have a good handle on how instruments, bands, orchestras should sound and realize it is a fool's errand to seek to match the live performance.
I've read several threads on this forum and a number of review articles. A better phono stage may be an answer, emphasis on may. I experimented with loading and found the 121 or 150 ohm settings on my current phono stage work best. Below that and I lose high frequency detail. Above that and I end up with unacceptable sibilance on some recordings. FYI, the cartridge manufacturer calls for loading of >100 ohms, so my findings make sense. As a sidebar, I have come to realize how variable the quality of recordings and pressings are. The better TT and cartridge only emphasized this.
So looking for more extension, deeper soundstage and a fuller, more natural sound lead me to a preliminary list of phono stages, with the goal of keeping within a budget of $2,500 or less. (I am agnostic as to solid state vs. tubes and will consider used gear from a good dealer or individual with happy customers.)
Pass XP-15
Whest Two.two or higher end model
PS Audio Stellar Phono
Parasound JC Jr. or JC+
Allnic Audio H-1201
Aesthetix Rhea or Rhea Signature
Rogue Ares or Ares Magnum
Manley Labs Chinook - Upscale Audio's favorite around my budget
The list is long because there are thankfully many seemingly suitable options. I am open to others that would meet my goals and budget. I am hoping to hear from those of you who have auditioned or owned one or more of the above.
A few technical questions:
I have been sensitized to the need to match phono stage output to my pre-amplifier's input. One article I read suggested a rule of thumb that the input impedance of the pre-amp should be at least 10X the output impedance of the source. Is this accurate? FYI, my pre-amp has an input impedance of 20k Ohms on the unbalanced and 40k Ohms on the balanced inputs. So if the rule of thumb were correct, I need a phono stage with an output impedance of 1,000-2,000 Ohms or less.
The pre-amp, amp, my DAC and CD player are all balanced. While the Rega TT dos not have balanced outputs, I noticed that many of the phono stages have them. Is there a benefit to using the balanced outputs from the phono stage e.g. lower noise and greater gain?
Last question is whether my cartridge or cables from phono stage to pre-amp are a potential cause of the limitations I'm hearing. The cables are Transparent Music Link Plus 1.5m. I presume a more costly cartridge, particularly one with a line contact stylus could make a difference.
Where to invest the dollars??? Thanks for reading this long, detailed post.
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@johnto - The Ayre may well be a good fit. Problem is limited number of pre-owned units that come to market. Among the solid state units the Pass Labs XP-15 and Whest units seem to have a strong following and excellent reviews. Like the Ayre, they too have balanced outputs and are set up as dual mono units, which reviewers have suggested provides the lowest noise and highest S/N ratio. @joey54 The Rhea is on the list. I may have some questions about it as I review the responses. My concern about the Musical Surroundings Nova III is that its sonic signature may be much like my Phenomena II+ - very quiet, good clarity, but how extended is the frequency response at the top and bottom (is the bass solid, deep and crisp and are the higher frequencies extended, natural sounding, not overly bright or etchy? Have you owned or auditioned it? @grislybutter Why is the Manley on your short list? Have you owned or auditioned one? Which Sutherland model would you suggest within my budget, new or used? Why that one? @dayglow The JC3+ is very flexible, with its variable loading, has balanced outs, a plus from my perspective. My reading, however, suggests a pre-owned Pass XP-15 will have a more natural sound, with equal extension at the bottom and top. Have you listened to or owned either? BTW, aesthetics are pretty much irrelevant to me, as its all about the sound, the reliability of the unit and how well it mates with my other components. Thanks to all for your feedback. Looking for more specifics. |
If I were going to go back before I built my present system, which is only one year ago, I would have sold my record collection and put money into the digital end. My analog sounds great to my ears. For most of my listening where I have the record, the analog delivers a bit more in every way, but I’ve put way more money into the analog. If my digital already sounded better than my analog and I wasn’t going for a $40K analog expenditure, I would just sell my analog equipment and records and invest in the digital. You are free to ignore my opinion and the fact that I still sometimes shoot film cameras makes me a bit of a hypocrite. |
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