I have to throw in a vote for Graham Slee. My Era Gold V was <$500 and it's probably the strongest link in my audio chain, for now...
Thanks for the heads-up on this. I've been using the MM-6 for about a week and am really enjoying it. It's even more "tubey" than the tube unit I came from. Not in a rolled-off sense but in the way it presents things very naturally with no etching or glare, even (especially) on peaks. Maybe that "Fully-Discrete, Zero Negative Feedback" mojo at work. And the bass is truly killer - I've never had bass like this from my LPs. It's extremely quiet and even with the volume on my amp pretty high for use with the AT-MONO3/LP (1.2mV) noise is not an issue. The other cart I've used it with for most of the week is the AT-VM95ML and it's a wonderful combo; the default 100pF at the input seems just right. It's uncanny how good this pairing sounds for $500! I have no intention of changing anything right now but I'm looking forward to his MC step-up give my AT33PTG/2 a whirl.
Nicely said, it's got the natural mojo The stick on labels are a touch tacky, but everything inside says they know exactly how to build a good sounding phono preamp at low cost, and seems like everyone that has heard it agrees. Thanks for the feedback, glad to hear it delivers the goods for you. Did they indicate to you that a MC stage is in the works? I know they did hint at it on the site, but didn't know if there was anything more forthcoming yet. A couple nice step up transformers would get you there too, though the better ones will set you back a bit too, depends how handy you are. You can get a couple Lundahl LL1933 transformers for $180 each, but you'd have to stick them in an enclosure and wire them up. I took that approach, but I installed them in my Conrad Johnson EF-1 solid state phono preamp. Unlike your DL, the CJ has a lot of room inside, so was easy to mount and wire them up. It is a similar circuit topology as the DL, high voltage discrete with no feedback, but it also gets rid of all the electrolytic capacitors and only uses big film caps, so really has that natural mojo going for it There are kits with the Lundahl transformers to save some money, and pre-assembled versions too but they can get a bit pricey. Lot of other step up transformer options, especially in the used market. Often see the Soltear Entre ET-100 for a good price, and the Phasemation T-300 too, both Japanese models. The Entre has three position switching for the input and for the transformer step-up ratio, so pretty flexible, but the switches aren't ultra high quality so can sometimes be a reliability issue. The ebay seller nclayton will custom package transformers and offers a lot of the common ones like the Cinemag 3440 mic transformers for around $325, but I'd go for the ones designed purposefully for MC cartridges, like the Lundahl above, or the better Cinemags. I also have a couple of the Silk 1:10 transformers from SAC Thailand, really nice and very reasonably priced, but I don't have them wired up yet. My main rig with a tube phono stage has vintage Partridge 977 transformers on the input... Product highlight LL1931 & LL1933 ⋆ Lundahl Transformers
For me, when it came to budget stuff, Bottlehead was always the answer. You do need to be able to solder or have a friend who can do it for you.
Keith is a pleasure to deal with. It seems a non-sticker faceplate solution is in the works as is an MC step-up. Not sure what the latter will be like but I don't get the impression it's transformer-based. You turned me on (perhaps not directly) to those Lundahls a while ago. I've had them bookmarked as an upgrade to my Bob's Devices 3440A "red" SUT which is over 10 years old now. As noted, though, the MM-6/AT-VM95ML is just so sweet I'm going to hold off and will give the Darlington solution a try when available.
Ah yes, I remember now, we already talked about this in the @Benzion SUT thread, starting to forget who has what around here Selecting a 1:10 SUT for Denon 103 out of three contenders, under $1K. It will be interesting to see what Darlington comes up with for handling LOMC carts, I'm pretty sure it will be good and reasonably priced. Just hope they are making enough money to keep going, would like to see both the MC stage and some nicer packaging options, realizing the nicer packaging comes at a real cost. Even just some silk-screening instead of the labels would be an improvement, maybe have to drop one of the levels, I'd probably just keep the cheap one (MM-3) and the best one (MM-6), but for all I know the MM-5 may be the biggest seller. One nice thing about the huge input overload on these designs is that if one does go with a transformer for LOMC carts, you don't have to be too concerned about keeping the gain in a narrow window to avoid overloading the MM stage, so you can maybe better match the cartridge.
Trichord Dino with Dino plus PSU........Really good sounding phono stage with switchable caps and loads.
Do you think the Darlington Labs MM-6 would be an upgrade from the Schitt Mani which i currently have? I wanted to have the reasonably best quality needledrops without having to spend millions on a decent setup. Im using the PLX-1000 with the MP-110 cart.
Still impatiently waiting for the postman to bring me my vista audio phono 2 great price, well regarded...
Do you listen to the records live, or just listen to the digitized needledrops? If the latter, then I guess it depends on what you use to do the digital recording. If it's no better than the Schitt Mani, and most digital capture systems aren't, then maybe not worth expending more on a better phono preamp. The MM-6 is very different from the Schitt, and most other (relatively) low cost phono preamps. The packaging looks a bit cheap, but the design and the circuitry and the components inside are something you'd normally see in a much more expensive phono preamp.
Silk screening is coming soon. Sales have been so robust since we started offering to the public last fall that we've never had finished inventory of the MM-6 on the shelf. It is actually our best seller, followed by the MM-5 and then the MM-3. We contemplate some type of exchange program where we will take in the existing front panel and silk-screen it for a nominal charge. Every new operation has strengths and weaknesses and proclivities. Our engineering-focused traits were previously satisfied with Dymo labels and units hidden in a broadcast rack for years at a time. The Alpha and Beta units in the past few years had masking tape and sharpie, so the fact that we hired an Italian designer for a logo is, itself, almost a stretch. Initial runs were to have a nice stick-on raised front logo, automotive quality, like Oppo has actually used recently. Then our local print shop went belly-up with the specs and in frustration we threw in the towel and went Avery and Color Laser printer and Krylon. Right now the choice is Glossy or Matte. Yes, we are all about transparency. re: MC Head-Amp. We take the tactic of one of our competitors, which is Never Ever talk about Any Product Not Ready to Ship. But it will be an active device, not transformer based, and we have already identified a small group of beta testers. We do hope to have it at our AXPONA booth in August for active audition.
Thanks for the feedback, Keith. Always fun to hear some of the stories behind product decisions, and good to know about the brisk sales. Hope AXPONA goes off as planed this year and is successful for you and everyone else.
Would love to see an option for a mono button. There seems to be a real need in the market for more affordable phone stages with that feature.
Ask and you shall receive. We're finishing up the latest MM-6 PCB and squeezed in a mono button on the right hand side (when viewed from the front, under the ground lug/post). It will be a reasonably-priced extra-cost option for units shipping by this summer. We do have an upgrade path. My personal feeling is that Mono is a feature that won't be desired by too many people but in case you do, we always try to make it right with existing customers. Someone up above mentioned "I hope these guys are making enough money to keep going." We are managing the business rollout in a prudent manner and intend this as a long-term venture. We have entire product categories designed using principles similar to those beginning to be proven in the marketplace. My two-year-old literally just learned to insert the front panel Allen-head screws and run a hex-key wrench (his desire, not mine, I assure you!) However, we intend this to be a long-term venture not a flash-in-the-pan. The somewhat generic but high-performance enclosures has been one way to keep those fixed costs down and a reasonable profit margin to assure continued product development and stability. Production efficiencies continue to be gained and we have a policy of continuous improvement. Along those lines, if anyone is interested in contract-type through-hole electronic PCB assembly, we are looking for quality people as we expand. Ideally near Boston but anywhere in the US. The first layer of resistors and diodes can be done by someone with good mechanical skills but no electronic knowledge. Feel free to send us an email through the website and we can chat. Sincerely, Keith Richardson Director of Engineering Darlington Labs LLC
Thanks to this thread I made the decision to order the MM-5 from Darlington Labs.....to me I think it will be a nice upgrade from the Schiit Mani, not only for vinyl transfers but also for listening too. I don't have a dedicated listening room at this time, but one day I will! I will be very curious to see how good the MM-5 will be.
Both. I do my digitizing with my Tascam DA-3000 for portable and in-house listening (like through JRiver), but I like to also listen to my albums live as well. Just can't beat the feeling of being involved with your record collection. I don't have a dedicated listening room at this time, but I hope to someday. I went ahead and ordered the MM-5, as it will be a nice upgrade for me.
Sounds good, be interesting to read your impression after you've had time to use it for awhile, and get used to the sound. I think it will get you closer to your records, but we all have different ideals when it comes to audio and music, so above all else, have fun with it!
Holy smokes, I just went out to the Darlington labs website for the first time after reading recent responses here - nice job at putting that together!! I spent a little time reading, but now want to go back and spend more time. Well thought out, both from a technical and marketing standpoint. I will say there's one statement from the website I've come to agree with over time after trying many phono pre's (and will try more): “I reckon the Phono preamplifier is one of the most interesting and challenging topics an audio gear designer may ever decide to face. It is a deadly cocktail of massive gain, accurate frequency response shaping, low noise, and vast headroom demands.” It's on this page High Voltage Discrete J-FET Audiophile Techology Provides Superior Vinyl LP Record Sound Quality — Darlington Labs and understand why this is bolded and in large font.
I tried this and it worked like a charm. Don't know if the Mono3 prefers seeing 580 ohm (1:9) from the SUT over 47k, or the MM-6 just likes 10.8 mV over the paltry 1.2mV , but it really seemed to breathe life into every mono I threw at it (after turning volume way down, of course). I don't think I've ever read a company's entire site before but I did with that one.
It's funny, they seem to be taking off pretty well, were first mentioned around here in this thread back in November, then showed up with the thread on superbestaudiofriends in December, and now you look around and there are threads on Audio Asylum, Audio Karma, reddit, and who knows where else. They must be doing something right, not saying the word really started here, but still fun to watch the word spread
Not sure if the O.P. found his phono preamp yet, but if not I vote for the Musical Surroundings Nova II. P.S.- There is one currently for sale in the classifieds (shameless plug ).
Well my MM-5 arrived today from Darlington Labs and couldn't wait to take it on a test spin! I know I will eventually spend more time with this but for the quickie listen, I have to say my very first impression of the MM-5 is much better defined to my ears, listening through my Sony MDR-7506 cans. I also noted that the volume level, compared to that of the Mani is a tad lower and therefore made some of my records sound much better (not any distortion). One 45 I tested it sounded much better but was still some distortion which I concluded was a worn 45 so going to look into a replacement. I am sure I will enjoy this unit...I don't buy phono preamps that often since I hae a boatload of them from vintage receivers and such but lack space currently to set all of that out but I wanted a nice quality one not only for needledrops but for live listeniing too. For a mid-level phono preamp the MM-5 should suit my needs for a good while and will do my digitizing with this unit. Now to figure out what to do with the Schitt Sorry, couldn't resist lol.
