Heads up!........ifi Phono 2

I don't believe the iPhono2 has a tube. It uses J-FET tech and ifi uses the "TubeState" marketing term to imply that the J-FET tech is "tubey".

 

Thanks for the clarification, Mel.

 

From what I read, it does get hot and is recommended to always be turned on. There's no "off" switch. People recommend it to be turned on for at least a couple of hours before use.

Personally, I don't believe in burn-in so I'd just plug it in whenever I feel like listening to something and save money on my electric bill.

 

I just walked up and felt mine, which sits on top of a receiver, and it's barely warm to the touch. Only been on for about 15 minutes at this point though.

I leave mine on constantly. I don't have specs but I'd be shocked if this thing pulled > 1W at idle.

 

anyone tried a Monacor SP6?
rather good if you forget it costs
£20

 

Forget about all phono preamplifiers, an Aesthetix lo Eclipse leave all miles behind. Not cheap, about 20.000 Pound but not for a real audiophile.

 

Although I don't have an iPhono, don't worry about tubes. You probably don't even have to power cycle it.

 

Dropping this little gem into a thread about a $500 phono pre is pretty much a textbook threadcrap.

 

Why? After reading that post I decided to up my budget 20 fold and in fact leave everything miles behind.

 

Is it for a fake audiophile, then?

 

Sorry, I meant " not cheap but no problem for a real audiophile". To be an audiophile is expensive, save on cars, sigarettes, wine, whiskey and you have the money within an eyewink.

 

Actually, it looks very impressive for a $500 preamp, given the wide range of loading options.

 

I was seriously considering ordering a Lounge Audio LCR MKIII until I heard about this iPhono 2! I haven't read a bad review yet and this might be just what I'm looking for in a new preamp.

Has anyone compared these two or can offer any thoughts one way or the other?

 

Just get the iPhono 2 from MusicDirect or somewhere with a generous return policy and compare them both I'm sure Lounge would understand as well but can't speak to their return policy. As I understand it they SHOULD sound very different just based on how they work so differently from each other (though I cannot technically explain why so don't ask, this is just what I've come to understand reading about them).

 

You can find a clean PS audio GCPH for around $500.

I can't find anything that makes me want to replace mine.

 

I read elsewhere that if your price point is $300, the Lounge LCR MKIII and the Vincent Pho-8 are going to be the best in that budget. But if you can up your budget to $500, the iPhono 2 is worth every penny and more.

I plan on skipping straight to the iPhono 2 when I upgrade.

 

I used the IFI 1 and found it faultless .
IFI 2 must be truly excellent.
It is silent. With volume all the way up
No hiss.
You would be forgiven for thinking
That it was not on.
It is ultimately adjustable.
The various curves are handy .
You will be able to get the best from any cartridge
The bass response is as good as any stage i have heard. And it's quite sweet
Overall.
If you go onto google IFI have a site which explains in detail the various settings.
Deeply impressive.

 

I just upgraded to the 2.

My only question is the gain settings which are slightly different. I have a Shure MX97 with a Jico. The recommendation is 40db of gain but now my options are 36 and 48? Is 48 too high?

 

I would try both and see how you feel about it in your system. I would think you'd rather go a little lower than higher, but I don't really have experience or detailed thoughts supporting that.

 

You shouldn't have an issue with 36dB. Also, the iPhono 2 can make believers out of people that don't believe in break in. Give it a week, and it settles down. I'm three weeks or so in and the iPhono 2 is one of the most impressive phono stages I've ever heard. It's also the quietest.

 

What do you think of it so far?

 

I've only listened to two records to test at 36dB and 48dB. Decided to stick with 36 and just turn it up a notch.

Out of the the box, there are some noticeable differences from the 1. The soundstage does sound wider and the bass is more precise. I'll be happy if it improves even more on break-in. It's already very quiet.

I suppose my only criticism is that the device seems hot to touch when left running. Perhaps due to all the changes in circuitry?

 

Thanks for that. Which other preamps have you tried?

 

I'd have to look at what I had before the first model. It was something from Cambridge Audio.

I tend not to mess with the Phono Stage.

 

I'm becoming more and more interested in the iphono 2. However, I'm using a low output (0,5 mv) Grado moving iron meaning I need to use the usual mm settings (47k and 100 uf) along with at least 60 dB of gain. Is that possible with the ifi?