Opinions needed on phono stages...tube vs ss

I've got a new pair of Scott 250 monoblocks and I want to try going directly into them without a preamp. Of course I will need a phono stage to do this effectively with vinyl. My first impulse is to grab the inexpensive little Music Hall phono box that I have access to and use that. However, this is not a tube piece. Am I killing magic here? I'm not sure. Essentially I'm just boosting the signal from my turntable and still going into a tube amp, right? So must a phono stage be tube as well? I'd love to hear any opinions from you guys on this one as I'm undecided as to how I should proceed. Steve, if you are reading this...I would love to have your input as well. Thanks!

 

This might sound stupid but I've read many times over at the Asylum that the $20 preamp Radio Shack sells is 'surprisingly musical for it's price'.

If you didn't get this Music Hall piece you mention yet, perhaps you could check the RS one out instead?

Will you be running the Clockwork Orange 'table into all this?

 

I'd say you could go either way, depends on cartridge needs, in the gain department that is. I noticed a lot of modern tube phono sections will use a solid state device to get the required gain for a mc or low output cartridge. And that practice is used by some very respectable manufacturers.

 

Yes, I would be running my "Clockwork Orange" turntable in this setup. The table is the J A Michell Hydraulic Reference. Cartridge is a Shure V15 III.

 

Good point. I wasn't sure on this one as I was searching for the purest signal possible. Thanks, Steve!

 

Of course there is always an exception that proves the rule Steve.

mikel, a member here and on AA, uses a Placette Balanced Remote Volume Control between his Lamm LP2 Delux phono stage and his Tenor Hybrid 300s. As you probably know, mikel's other components include the Rockport System III Sirius turntable and Kharma Exquisite 1D speakers.

 

Let us know how it goes, I've been intrigued about that one since you first posted the pics.

Good luck

 

Tell us more Gapfather.

Thanks in advance.