phono stage options for Lyra Cartridges

Jfrech:

You are right about the Nagra BPS! I believe it provides at least 80 percent of the "VPS sound" at less than half the cost. High WAF, too. (So of course I bought the VPS! ;-> )

Always nice to see a post from another happy Nagra VPS camper!

If you think you might want to use mono cart in future by getting another tube (say if you have number of jazz or classical LP's from 50's/60's) hard to beat the value of PS GCPH.You can get cheap up front and then get PCX mods from Underwood Wally.EAR is great value and you can get Mitch Singerman mods.If you don't want tubes with pricey AR or Aesthetix than EAR is it (I have their integrated and it's well built and fine sounding-I pine for their 324 but it's a bit expensive).Other ones I always read about are Whest 2.0 (older not newer) and mini ASR for SS.Calling Bes Nivera at Music Direct would be a good way to go since they carry everything mentioned and has heard every combo.
Chazz

P.S would also mention Dodd or Sutherland in not crazy price range.
Chazz

Sutherland is supposed to be synergistic with them.

I owned or tried the following with my Lyra Argo (i):

- Vacuumstate JLTI
- Pass XOno
- Wright WPP200C
- ARC PH3 SE
- Shindo Monbrison, Cinemag step-up

The best combination was the JLTI followed by the XOno and the Monbrison/Cinemag. I really did not like the combination with a tube phono as it doesn't bring out the strengths of the Lyra Argo. The JLTI was excellent - detailed, balanced, evenhanded, and dynamic with excellent flow. The XOno was almost too much in the dynamics department, the Wright lost all the detail and nuance of the Argo.

Of the above, I would stay away from the EAR which in my comparisons wasn't even close to the JLTI. The Nagra could be an option that I imagine could work very well too. I would go with a solid state phono for the Lyra. And I am usually a tube person (currently running the Monbrison with A23 step-up and Allaerts cartridge). All the tube amps I tried just weren't the best match.