Best "Built In" Phonostages on New Equipment Today?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by tomd, May 20, 2015.

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  1. tomd

    tomd Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Brighton,Colorado
    What integrated amps (new) offer the best Phonostages that anyone has heard? Say up to $15 k for the integrated amp.
     
  2. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
  3. Dentdog

    Dentdog Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta
    Heard the VAC-outstanding. Heard about the DartZeel, costs a little more but their stuff is also outstanding.
     
  4. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    I almost mentioned the Dart, but it's more than double the proposed budget. A very nice unit though.
     
  5. Bubbamike

    Bubbamike Forum Resident

    Take your pick of Luxman.
     
  6. telemike

    telemike Forum Resident

    Location:
    Greensboro, NC
  7. frimleygreener

    frimleygreener "It 'a'int why...it just is"

    Location:
    united kingdom
    I have the "onboard" Arcam Delta 290 mm/mc phono stage...It brings my music alive.
     
  8. eirismania

    eirismania Forum Resident

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    I use the one on the Arcam A65+. Can't say if other similar priced amps have better phono stages, but this one sounds pretty good for the money.
     
    telemike likes this.
  9. John Moschella

    John Moschella Senior Member

    Location:
    Christiansburg, VA
    The phono stage in my ModWright LS100 (preamp) is quite good. Thought it was way better than a Audio Research PH5, plus it can handle anything from a MM to a LOMC cart by changing the tube type.
     
  10. quicksilverbudie

    quicksilverbudie quicksilverbudie

    Location:
    Ontario
    Audible Illusions M3B new version, I have an M3A that I luv with the gold phono board.

    sean
     
    Sam and googlymoogly like this.
  11. Tyler Eaves

    Tyler Eaves Forum Resident

    Location:
    Greenville, NC
    At a way lower pricepoint, the phono stage in the Rega Brio-R is very nice. Better than most seperates under $400 or so.
     
    Ntotrar and sennj like this.
  12. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    The Vinni Rossi Lio is extremely impressive. The phonostage and the rest of the amp run on a bank of capacitors and are isolated from the power mains when operating.
     
  13. JBStephens

    JBStephens I don't "like", "share", "tweet", or CARE. In Memoriam

    Location:
    South Mountain, NC
    As far as "cheap stuff" goes, I've had a NAD preamp for about a month, and it equals the Audiolab I used to have. I honesly think you'd have to spend $3,000 to surpass this $1,000 preamp. I fixed a friend's Arcam about a year ago, so I listened to it at length, and it's also a very sweet amp.
     
  14. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident

    I didn't care for the built in on my Cronus, but I would bet the Rogue Pharoah is very good. It's supposed to be based on their stand alone designs.

    I wish I could vote for an ARC SP20 for $9000 and the $6000 power amp of your choice. I am one that has been mesmerized by ARC's phono stages all the way down to the onboard on my lowly SP16.
     
    BD2665 likes this.
  15. thesisinbold

    thesisinbold Forum Resident

    Location:
    Camarillo, Ca, USA
    Croft.

    Biased? yes. it's what i have.
     
  16. sennj

    sennj I'm slower than I look...

    Location:
    Muskegon, Michigan
    I hope I'm not laughed off the forum (for this anyway), but I've had some extensive listening sessions with the Marantz PM8005 (and PM7005 as well) and find them to have very good phono sections. Very good...
     
    Erik Tracy likes this.
  17. ghost rider

    ghost rider Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bentonville AR
    I like my McIntosh C2500
     
    Long Live Analog likes this.
  18. Marantz has always had very nice built-in phono sections. Maybe not the be-all and and-all, but better than most in their respective price categories.
     
    sennj likes this.
  19. 5-String

    5-String μηδὲν ἄγαν

    Location:
    Sunshine State
    The phono stage that comes with the McIntosh MA 6600 intergrated is quite good and soundwise can compete with any phono stage in the $1000 price range. There are two drawbacks however. It is MM only and there are no adjustments.
    Still, If one is really interested in improving the sound quality of his analogue playback he needs to get a good dedicated phono stage.
    All other options are compromises IMO.
     
  20. Erocka2000

    Erocka2000 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY, USA
    Most Shindo preamps have spectacular phono inputs.
     
    charlesp and Long Live Analog like this.
  21. whaleyboy

    whaleyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    The Devialet line offers an integrated phono stage as well.
     
    Dr Tone and dennis the menace like this.
  22. GuildX700

    GuildX700 Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    After all these years I'm still quite impressed with the phono section in my Adcom GFP 565 preamp. Amazingly quiet.
     
    George Blair likes this.
  23. Art K

    Art K Retired but not tired!

    Location:
    Corvallis, Oregon
    The Sonneteer Alabaster has an excellent one.
     
    Brother_Rael likes this.
  24. ghost rider

    ghost rider Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bentonville AR
    I guess your right. It all depends how much you want to spend. The phono stage in the MC C2500 is MM and MC with some adjustability. It was a big improvement over the Project tubebox DS. The only thing I initially wished it had was a subsonic filter but that has proved to be a non-issue.
     
    Long Live Analog and 5-String like this.
  25. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    I don't agree that a dedicated phono stage is the only way to go, and prefer a great preamp with a great phono stage. But for the integrated amps, unless you are at the darTZeel or VAC level, you are probably right.
     
    5-String likes this.
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