Lounge Audio Phono Pre Amp

Thank you for that informative answer, that's exactly what I'll do.

 

I start to hear a slight hum at about -24 dB, ears next to the speaker. Listening position is at about 6 feet however
Non issue for me as I never get that loud when playing.

 

I had to move my SUT and reposition the LCR MKIII a couple of times to get rid of the slight hum I had at first. This preamp is well worth the effort in my opinion.

 

I wonder why Micheal Fremer won't review this unit? Is there something going on in the hi fi industry that some of us are not aware of?

 

I believe Herb Reichert (unfortunately) is currently in the process of reviewing the LCR for Stereophile. I read that somewhere a while back.

 

Last year at T.H.E Show Fremer did approach us at the Lounge booth and mentioned a review. But he said that his plate was totally full and didn't want to take a unit yet. We appreciated his honesty.

The Los Angeles Audio Show still has two more days to go and maybe he will stop by. He was lurking around today but our corner of the Market Place floor (Lounge Audio, Analog Productions, Mag-Lev turntables) was super busy for the first 5 hours. I was constantly conversing with attendees nonstop with barely even a chance to to get to the bathroom.

Really though, a Fremer review is cool and all but is not as important as buzz like this thread.

 

Still Love my lounge, it's the only thing I still have from when I first bought it. Upgraded everything around it since.

 

morinix, I enjoyed speaking with you and your wife at the LA Audio Show last week. Even though we were talking about my own situation which involves different equipment, you and your wife could not have been more friendly and helpful!

 

Has anyone compared the Lounge to a ifi iPhono 2?

 

Thanks for stopping by! It's always fun talking about gear.

 

I believe @toddrhodes may have used both. I know he uses the IFI now, or at least a few months ago.

@George Blair I also switched from a built-in Yamaha (A-S801) phono to the lounge and it was an eye opening improvement for me. I have never noticed an increase in hum from adding the pre-amp. Only better sounding music.

 

Maybe it's time I give one of these a try, especially considering it's supposed to work well with my cartridge (Grace F9).
Allows me to dip my toes back into vinyl without breaking the bank.

And what cables are people using to connect the LCR to their amps?
I see Lounge also sell cables for this purpose but the price looks too good to be true

 

I bought a pair of Lounge's interconnects. I needed a 4 foot length and he made them for me. I have a shorter pair of Audioquest Rubies and I couldn't tell a difference in sound. The AQs are too short so it was a brief test.

There was a hum for a bit but it turned out they were running too close to some power cables. Once I gave them some distance the hum went away. Dead silent now unless I turn it up to volume levels I'd never listen at.

 

I have left mine plugged in and on for two weeks now, and I really enjoy the sound. Bass response is the first thing I noticed that improved from the project box, but overall, the music sounds very good, and I find myself listening to Los, not noticing glitches in sound, and considering that is the goal, I am happy with the lounge...

I have hum at high levels. I wonder if it is the tonearm (audioquest)/cart (soundsmith carmen) combo. the project box the lounge replaced had zero hum, but the former didn't amplify the signal as much as the lounge does, so maybe that is it... there are no grounding issues in my chain (I don't think), especially since all of my equipment runs off two prong wall wart transformers. I bought a few cables from lounge and found the standard rat shack red/whites to be much more quiet (I was getting a high pitched hum from the lounge cables).

 

Many have said the same thing about the Lounge pre-amp. Reviews make claims like "best phono pre under $1000 or $1500." That and this thread more than anything else are what prompted my purchase. Sometimes price doesn't tell the whole quality story. If this unit sold for $500 I think it would sell just as many, it's that good. I even read someone say "buy this now before it goes up another $100".

I can't see the need or want to upgrade this section of my chain.

 

My body bought a Lounge to compare just about three weeks ago. We compared it to the yaqin MS12-b that has been our ongoing favorite. We used the Lounge with a ClassE amp and Marantz 7702 mkii and then a Rogue atlas magnum tube amp... we didnt like it at all with any of those systems. It was dead sounding and veiled.

Lots dont like that Yaqin model though... so ??

 

I can send you a set of shorting plugs to try to isolate the hum/buzz with. PM me an address.

 

So, send in the unit and let me have a look at it. If you are interested, PM me

 

It didn't belong to me. I was only sharing our experience. Synergy, impedance, sensitivity... we just plugged in and gave a whirl without much science.

 

So let your friend know I'll be happy to check the unit out.

 

Unfortunately I have not experienced the Lounge, only the iFi

 

I'm using
Blue Jeans Cable LC-1 stereo interconnects. Since I've used the Lounge in two different systems, I've used both 3 and 6 ft lengths with no hum or noise issues.

 

So! Many thx. PM sent.

 

Here is how we make our cables. Mystery solved?