Doshi Alaap is also fighting for my preference, and cheaper than the Allnic by 50%. Thoughts? Modwright PH150 is in the discussion too.
End Game Phono Preamp (tube)
Before you say ALLNIC a few caveats - I will only be using one TT so only need one input (MC). ALLNIC has up to 4 which is a lot of extra engineering I don't need and don't want to pay for. I'm coming from a very much loved Hagerman Trumpet MC with all the finest (to my ears) NOS tubes, external linear power supply, upgraded footers. It sounds terrific but I just have to scratch that itch to see if I can do better. If the only improvement I'll be getting by going up the food chain is less hiss, well, I can live with the existing hiss truthfully. I'd be expecting improved imaging, depth, resolution, cymbal decay beauty. Maybe I have it all now... if anyone has first hand experience with the Trumpet and can with an informed opinion offer a better option I'm all ears (hehe).
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@atmasphere + 1 |
I was using the internal MC/MM phono stage in my NAD M66 Preamp/DAC/Streamer with a Rega P6 and Ania Pro MC cartridge. That combo was very good, or so I thought. Then, I stumbled on a pre-owned Zesto Audio Andros PS1 at The Music Room for about half price compared to new. I was expecting an improvement but nowhere near the improvement I experienced. Few products have exceeded my expectations like the Zesto Andros PS1 did. A year later, I found a Zesto Audio Andros II Deluxe with ESP https://www.zestoaudio.com/andros-deluxe-ii-phonostage/ on The Music Room website for $5k (retail $8,300). I purchased it and sold the PS1 for more than I paid for it. The Andros II is fantastic and offers tons of loading options that can be changed "hot" while playing a record. It accepts both MM and MC cartridges and you COULD run two turntables if you ran both cartridge types but I don’t. I’m still running the Rega P6 but now with a Hana Umami Blue cartridge and the combination is fantastic. Both Zesto phono stages include high quality dual mono step-up transformers in the chassis. In short, I highly recommend Zesto Audio phono preamps for clarity, detail, dynamics and very low noise floor. George and Carolyn Counnas (designer/ business owners) respond directly to my inquiries and have been a pleasure answering questions about tube recommendations and best practices. The units are very nice to look at with clear emphasis on aesthetics. And, they are hand made in California, USA. One final point. I found the Andros PS1 to be a huge improvement over the NAD internal phono stage as you would expect for a $4k product. While I love the Andros II, it represents at best, a 10% improvement over the PS1 for twice the money. I’d highly recommend both although, if budget is a consideration, the PS1 was fantastic! |
@cey Link or it didn't happen.
Oh! So a phono section with enough gain can sound better than one with an SUT. This is what I meant by a 'limited sample size' in a prior post. But for the record the polling does not exist...
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