Phone Preamp help for VPI Scout w Grado Sonota MM

I am a VPI dealer and am currently investigating the same question as I use a MF M3 NuVista for demos. Have been using an older Vendetta step up into the MF's MM phono stage. In a recent HIFICRITIC test the PRO-JECT TUBE BOX 11 SE did very well, considerably bettering the Slee + Elevator. See test results on their web site. I am currently in negotiations with Sumiko for PROJECT and with Dynavector for their P 75 phono stage. I don't sell new products on audiogon so I am not campaigning for a sale, just letting you know what I had been looking at in the way of phono stages. These are $700 and $750.

I went to the HIFICRITIC website but couldn't find the article. Do you have the link. I would be interested to read it.

A remarkably little SS phono box. You just experiment with the user dip swtches to find the right impedance and gain. Ignore the supossedly correct positions they are just wrong but you can find the right combo easily enough. I am using it with an MM at the moment but it has the gain for a moderate MC.
It is a much more musical creature than my Graham Slee Amp 2 SE which I was told was a giant killer. I find it a bit harsh- but yes indeed -it has the cruel real audiophile's brutally sterile and that nUetral sonic.
Absolutely perfectly clean impossibly low noise floor and all that. It is very clean without noise or other obvious faults. I am using it with with my Scout. The cartridge is a ridiculously revealing detail retrieving finder, A Dyna 20X High output MC.
The name of this little miracle musical job I mentioned above is an Australian product by Redgum audio. The only place I know that has it in stock is Quest for Sound. You can find Stephen Monte or the Quest president and wholey owned NAT distributing- as one of the official Audiogon dealers. They are othwise beyond hard to find. The down side is that despite the crazy good sonics it seems like it should cost less than the $4-500 they do. Primarily because it is small.
My personal take on the sumiko project phono stage is that it was made to look like a good pre not sound any good I think they are dull and noisy. Just my 2 cents I am sure I will be toasted for telling the emporor he has no clothes.
If you e-mail me I have a bunch of really good tubes and a legendary phono just hanging about to put themm in.

I went through this too, with the same combination as you.

I had trouble getting the Grado Sonata to sound very good with the VPI arm. Eventually I got a VPI head weight (from Musical Surroundings, I think) which gave me the best sound. The Grado has a rich midrange, and sounded fairly tubby with the EAR phono stage I had. When I switched to a Benz Lukaschek PP-1 phono stage, I thought the combo was really quite nice. The Lukaschek is crystal clear and fast, and really helped me appreciate the Sonata. Although it is designed for low output MC cartridges (why I bought it), it actually sounded great with the Sonata.

Eventually I wore out the Grado and moved on to a Shelter 501-II, which had some definite advantages (clarity & extension) over the Grado, but didn't have quite the same sense of drive. Again, I needed the head weight to get a cartridge/arm resonance that was workable and would track records well. I've been running that quite happily for a couple of years. The Shelter needs a re-tip now, so I'm exploring other options.

Earlier this week, I bought a Dynavector 20xL, which I haven't yet received. Said to be a great match with the VPI. We'll see.

Hope you find a solution that works for you. Anyway, I'd recommend the head weight (maybe $20?) and the PP-1 phono stage which you can find at $5-600. I sold mine when I got an Aesthetix Rhea phono stage, but that's another story.

Have you tried the JASMINE LP2.OSE Phono Pre-Amp? I tries the Graham Slee,,,,,too rich for my blood,and the Jasmine takes no back seat! Really a great buy!

Take Care & Stay Healthy:max b