Dedicated phono-pre for MM only?

Dear Tom: Yes we use 60 db too in the MC phono stage circuit and we can get, on the whole/overall Phonolinepreamplifier, ( changing the line stage gain ) easy 90 db, I never have the necessity to go to a higher total gain.

Normally 60 db is enough for almost any LOMC cartridge. I own the Ortofon MC- 2000 that is very low output ( 0.05 mv. ) and I can handle very good with very low noise/distortions, yes the Esential attenuators has to be around 3.0 o'clock for around 83-84db on SPL in my system.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Thank you for the reply, Raul. You and the others have been kind in answering all my questions. Based on what I've learned here I feel comfortable that I can make more informed decisions in future phono preamp purchases. Compromises abound in audio components to meet the needs of price, performance, and convenience, and I'm getting a better sense of what to look for.

Regards,
Tom

In my list of candidate MM phono stages posted 6/26, I neglected to include the Graham Slee Gold Era Reflex (hope I got the long name right). The Reflex was specifically designed for MM and HOMC. Further, it got great reviews from some respected sources, including M Fremer. It's a bit odd in that it uses active RIAA equalization, but Kirkus has espoused that approach also. (The more common gospel is that passive RIAA is better sounding than active.) Earlier in this thread, someone dismissed this or one of the other Graham phono pres as not being "as good as" a Jadis, without naming the particular Jadis preamp he was referrring to. As I have never been a fan of any Jadis product, I am keeping an open mind on the Graham. Has anyone been able to audition this product (the Gold Reflex) in a system driven by an MM cartridge? (There is an optional accessory, the Elevator, which adds the necessary gain for an LOMC. One would prefer to know what the Reflex sounds like without this add-on.) Thanks for any comments.

I have both the Reflex and the Elevator. I first used the Reflex alone with an Ortofon 2M Black. It sounded great! Then, I added the Elevator and Ortofon Kontrapunkt B. This is an outstanding setup and is highly detailed and refined sounding. To my ears, this combination is transparent across the frequency spectrum, very dynamic, and with no detectable glare, distortion, or other audible anomolies. The Reflex and 2M Black are certainly a nice pairing and I could live happily with them, but adding the Elevator and Kontrapunkt B sounds even better to me and is worth the money. The Elevator is nice in that it has easily accessible switches on the front panel for adjusting MC loading. I have settled on 100 ohms for my MC cartridge. I should also state that Graham Slee himself is very responsive to any questions you may have. You can contact him via the Graham Slee web site's link to their own discussion board. I am very pleased with my Graham Slee units and have no desire to look elsewhere.

Hi, Lewm, it was my first reply to Axel that mentioned the Reflex as a dedicated MM phono preamp. And it was also me that too quickly dismissed the Reflex as not being in the same league as a preamp costing multiples of the Reflex. After seeing where the discussion was going I put the Reflex back in the mix. But apparently it's not what Axel considered "top end" when he asked the original question.

I had, at one time, considered the Reflex as the basis for a phono stage configuration, intending to use a headamp such as the Elevator or a step-up transformer, of which there are many, to run LOMC cartridges. I ended up with a phono preamp that has a relatively simple architecture but handles both MM and LOMC cartridges using jumpers and resistor screw posts.

You might ask over at the Vinyl Asylum about the Reflex and MM cartridges.

Tom