K & K phono pre compasison

The odds that anyone has heard all of the top phono stages in a system that they are familiar with is small and they certainly did not hear them with YOUR ears. They will all sound different and it is likely that the more expensive ones will sound better but there is no guarantee that they will or that any improvement will be worth the cost. I just changed from a Musical Fidelity Kw phono to a Asr Basis Exclusive, both of which were listed in Stereophile Class A at the same time. The Basis is considerably better to my ears and my friends ears, as it should be at the difference in cost. But I paid less than 30% of current retail for a used one. My advice is to try to listen to as many as you can and when you find one you like get it and don't worry about whether there is a better one or not. And even if they are "better" you may not like them as well.

A year ago, I auditioned the Allnic 3000, ASR Basis Exclusive 2008, and Wavestream Kinetics in my system. The Allnic was very liquid and palpable, but ultimately not realistic in the attack and transcients to my ears. Plus, it hummed slightly, which turns out to be not uncommon with this unit unless the power supply is located very far from the phono stage. The ASR could have been a strong contender but it hummed so loudly in my system that I thought it would damage my speakers. Don't know why. I couldn't track down the source of the hum, and no other component in my system has ever reacted like that. Plus, IMO, it's ridiculously cumbersome, with two huge and weighty pieces connected by a hawser-sized umbilicus that's permanently affixed to one. Others might find its size to be of no consequence. Certainly, it has a great reputation and typically does not hum, according to my dealer and the distributor. The Wavestream was warm, inviting, and palpable but not quite dynamic enough, IMO. Apparently, Brian could include different caps to improve the dynamics, but I wasn't convinced.

The K&K Maxxed Out was, on the whole, better than any of them to my ears, combining the fullness of the Wavestream with excellent transient attack and detail. It didn't offer the most in any one category but offered a surprisingly balanced sound across all categories of evaluation. And it's quiet. And that was before Kevin's most recent upgrades, which are supposed to be a significant improvement. (I've had them installed but I haven't actually heard them yet because I'm waiting for a new turntable to arrive.)

I was quite ready to spend $8K+ on these other phono stages. I'm glad I didn't have to. The K&K is a very good sounding piece, IMO, and a great deal. Kevin will build one for you inexpensively if you'd like; that's the route I took. He'll even customize it. For example, I had him install a dial on the back to adjust capacitance loading so i could play with MM cartridges. And he's a straight shooter.

For reference, my system at the time of audition was comprised of a Reference Line class A SS amp, Bent Audio TAP-X AVC passive, Vandersteen 3A Sig speakers, Michell Orbe SE, Graham 2.2, Shelter 901.

I have the K&K Phono SE, the predessor to the Maxxed out and by chance , have compared with quite a few other phono stages.
Firstly I should saty it is by some margin, the best stage I have had in my system. I have used the Pre stage in a Graaf 13.5 pre, a Tome Evans micro groove+ and lastly, a Clearaudio reference. It was better than all of them, particularly better than the Clearaudio, which is quite a bit more expensive. Much more life and dynamics than the Clearaudio, which is lifeless in comparison.
Since then, I did an A/B comparison with the Whest 20, I believe. A Good stage, but I preferred the K&K. I do'nt know if it is the tubes, but it sounds more natural, analogue like, good soundstage depth and imaging. Mine is'nt going anywhere. Kevin has an upgrade at the moment, a change in some Caps and Jfet I believe. The reports say it is a significant improvement.
Of course there are better phono stages, but at the price, I can'nt think of anything that betters it and for a good bit more.
Hope that is helpful. I have to confess that I had mine built by a friend of Kevin's. I am going to do the upgrade myself though.

Oh yeah, I also auditioned the single-ended Einstein phono stage, which is supposed to be not quite up to the balanced version. In my system, it was so aggressive that it gave me a headache. Other people just love it, and I really wanted to love it because I would have gotten a great deal. Same with the ASR I described above--a dealer demo at 40% off. So you really need to listen to as many as you can in your own system. That being said, I did take a chance on the K&K, buying unheard because of its relatively lower price point and solid resale market. I'm very glad I did. Everything else in my system has changed since but the K&K remains.

Wrm57,

Wait until you hear the latest mods in the K&K - frankly, they're amazing, though you'll have to wait 100+ hours of actual playing time for the new JFET to come around and tame itself. If there is any downside, it may be the fact that the unit is now so revealing, immediate and dynamically unleashed, you'll be rechecking and contemplating every weak link in your system; you'll certainly need to revisit some turntable/tonearm settings. Once you get things dialed in however, the real thrills begin. I always felt the K&K was excellent, but it has now become exceptional.