The Ultimate Phono Preamp?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Strat-Mangler, Jan 20, 2018.

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  1. Bill Hart

    Bill Hart Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin
    You could throw this in too for turntable porn: J.P. (Hans) van Vliet
     
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  2. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker Thread Starter

    Location:
    Toronto
    I wouldn't trust that guy. No way records will play by having the turntable lying on its side. DUH! :cool:

    [​IMG]
     
  3. Catcher10

    Catcher10 I like records, and Prog...duh

    EMT = Endless Means of Tweaking
     
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  4. Bill Hart

    Bill Hart Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin
    I forget which mainstream TT manufacturer used to demonstrate how their tables would play upside down. Aren't the deep photos of some of his restorations beautiful? I know the 927 is the cat's meow, but some of those late tables with the BBC nomenclature have a similar quality to the Studers. Built way beyond mil-spec. Serious stuff.
     
  5. R. Totale

    R. Totale The Voice of Reason

    It was Dual in my area, but if you think about it any proper arm can because of physics.
     
  6. Bill Hart

    Bill Hart Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin
    I think you are right. (about it being Dual- this was early '70s).
     
  7. Salectric

    Salectric Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    Yeah. I can recall a Dual playing upside down at a HiFi show in Philadelphia in the early 1970s. My reaction was So What? What does that prove about sound quality? But I guess it was memorable because here I am remembering it some 45 years later.

    That was the same show where I had a long chat with Irving M. Fried of IMF speakers. Those were exciting times.
     
  8. Bill Hart

    Bill Hart Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin
    Hey Salectric! I think I remember you are on the 'Gon and have a horn system?
    Yes, in answer to your question, it doesn't really prove a thing. I was just responding to @Strat-Mangler's comment about the EMT being on its side in the link I posted above.
    I definitely remember Irving. He was, as I recall, a lawyer, and was, ahem, a bit controversial. I think he was the original importer of Quad into the U.S. I remember his transmission line speakers, but forget who actually made them-- I think there was some controversy there as well. I met him a couple times back in the day. We are dating ourselves!
     
  9. Robert C

    Robert C Forum Resident

    Location:
    London, UK
    We have a similar unit at the National Sound Archive for customising the EQ curve of non-standardised discs. It has a neat feature which lets you choose which part of the groove you want to capture. We also use an Elberg MK2 for more 'ordinary' discs.
     
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  10. Gibsonian

    Gibsonian Forum Resident

    Location:
    Iowa, USA
    Agreed. I think some are unaware and others can't get past the looks and the number of settings available. To each their own, I'd take one in a NY minute. To own one I'd have to steal it I think though.
     
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  11. captwillard

    captwillard Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nashville
    I thought the ultimate phono stage was the Vendetta Research one
     
  12. 56GoldTop

    56GoldTop Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nowhere, Ok
    Lol. Right. If I remember correctly, the gold is a special edition. It originally and normally comes in the grey/silver. But, if looks are more important than sound and functionality...................................................................
     
  13. Larry I

    Larry I Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, D.C.
    Thanks for the information and images on the EMT unit. It certainly looks interesting. In terms of flexibility (variable EQ), it reminds me of the FM Acoustic phonostage that provided for variable slope of the equalization curve and variable turnover frequency. The FM Acoustic model also included a "de-crackle feature and a separate "de-click" feature. These things would be fun for those who like to fiddle with settings. A friend of mine has the top end Boulder and it also allows for a lot of adjustment of loading, gain, etc. The thing about the Boulder, at least for me, is that I did not care for the sound.

    Of the stuff I've heard and liked, most of them do not offer much in the way of adjustability. I have no idea how the inclusion or exclusion of such features affects the sound. I own a completely non-adjustable unit, a Viva Fono; I'm glad it at least has an on-off power switch. I've also heard various Audio Note units that sounded very good, including the huge, multi-box M10 with their top step up transformer; money issues aside, I don't think I have nearly enough room for the Audio Note unit. If I can ever find one, I would take a gamble on buying a Lyra Connoisseur unit (one of the few solid state units I heard and really liked a lot); unfortunately, it hardly ever becomes available on the used gear market and the manufacturer stopped making them when ROHS regulations made critical parts unavailable.
     
  14. Salectric

    Salectric Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    Bill Hart,

    Yes, we are dating ourselves! But at least we are still around to share these memories.
     
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  15. Salectric

    Salectric Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    I get a little annoyed by the notion of an "ultimate" component, and phono stages are a good example. The ultimate for adjustability or flexibility in terms of multiple inputs implies less than ultimate sound quality. My preference is for a dedicated phono stage that is optimized for a particular cartridge, namely the cartridge that I own and use at the time. In my case that means a DIY tube unit that I have been working on for over 10 years. Does it sound better than the EMT? I have no idea but it does give me the sound that I want to hear.
     
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