Good phono pre with Ortofon 2m Bronze

I believe that LCR does not have wallwart power supply, but just wallwart transformer (AC->AC), and the rest of electronics are inside the unit itself.
So adding PSU should require some serious modification of the unit. Let me go and read this thread.

 

I use a MoFi StudioPhono with my Ortofon Bronze and second (or third) its recommendation. It sounds absolutely fine, it has a handy mono switch, it looks good (who doesn't like a good-looking piece of kit ?) and it allows you to go MC later on if you choose to.

 

I was looking at this and wondering why no one else mentioned it. Looks like a pretty great deal at $250.
Anyone have any opinions on this?

 

How so? Changing a jumper or what?

 

Yes. Jumpers on bottom for gain and impedance (resistive part) adjustment. Capacitance is fixed at 100pF which is low enough to work well with my 2M black.

 

I have one with a 2M Blue on a Technics 1210. I'm very happy with it.

 

I use the same phono stage as our OP but with its PSU. I see no nee to upgrade it. The PSU seems to "pull everything together". Its certainly worth a try. IMO

 

Yes - this was my entry for the best purchase of 2017 thread. I don't have a 2m Bronze - I have an AT with Shibata stylus. It's 3MV and I use 46 DB of gain. Sounds great - a huge leap in quality from the built in Phono stage of my amplifier. Plus, you get the mono switch and the subsonic filter.

 

Lounge LCR III.

 

So you’re using vintage Marantz gear and the Neo PSU pulled things together for you?

 

Mobile Fidelity has a new phono pre around $300 (or less). It came out the same time their new turntables came out. I got to hear one for a few hours, it was very good for the money.

 

My Phono Stage is a MF X LPs and i use its PSU. I have no Marantz gear

 

Rega Fono Mini with Dual 1229 and Ortofon 2M Bronze. The Dual’s RCA-out goes to the Rega’s RCA-in. The USB output of the Rega goes to my Macbook Pro and Audacity. The RCA-out goes to an AUX input of my Marantz 8002 AV receiver. This way, I can digitize records while using the receiver for something else (or turn it to Aux and listen to music passed thru the Rega). Sounds great, works great.

The Rega cost about $150 new, if I recall. The music digitized with this setup is saved as AIFF and sounds identical to the LPs; uncompressed, so no loss of dynamics or sound. I also save as MP3-320 for my mobile needs. Anyone who nit-picks about the Rega adding .0001% THD is missing the whole point.

The last thing digitized with this was Electric Ladyland (this week), original 1968 Reprise records. Suurrrre sounds good, (Do I really need the 50th anniv. re-do?)

PS - I’ve been told that using the Bronze on the Dual is a waste of a better cartridge, to which I respond ”Pshaw! Humor me please.”

 

I would not agree that it is a waste of a better cartridge. The Bronze has a sound signature that is very much like, say a Shure cartridge, that might have been used on the Dual's back in the day.

I would not use the Black, but, you never actually know what the results would be, unless you actually try it for yourself.

I do have the Bronze/Black and they are being used on a vintage Vinyl Nirvana, Thoren's TD-160 Super TT, that has been restored and upgraded.

 

I didn’t put much credence into the comment either. I love it, and just think the guy was jealous

 

I’ve Read the MoFi has a bit too much gain for the Ortofons

 

It's gain adjustable to as low as 40db, so what you read is not true.

 

I also run StudioPhono with Ortofons, 2m Black and Concorde with Stylus 40. Gain is fine at 40dB. My AT VM740ML actually has higher output than my 2m Black.

 

Likewise, Ortofon Bronze through a StudioPhono and no issue whatsoever.

 

I was just going by the person who wrote MoFi on this thread a few posts down. I’ve even read somewhere that actual gain is higher when measured compared to specs listed on Ortofon. I guess if you do not hear distortion everything is ok. A dumb question about MoFi Studiophono preamp

A dumb question about MoFi Studiophono preamp

 

It would depend on the output of your particular example of a 2M cart. They are not consistent and don't always meet spec. They have been bench tested to have over ~8mV of output or more. Would also depend on what records you are playing and how loudly they are cut. The Studio Phono wasn't built for such high output carts. I corresponded with the company and their engineering department about this. The SP had trouble with a Goldring 1042 (6.5mV output spec) which is why I sold mine. They may add a 34dB gain option in the future but I wouldn't hold your breath for that.

 

I used Orto Bronze with Lounge LCR 3, wich has gain of 42.5db, 2.5db higher then MoFi. So I think MoFi distortions are not due to too much gain, but rather with some issues with MoFi design itself...

 

Correct, it's down to the design. Not all designs are robust and can take higher output cartridges at certain levels of gain. The solution with the MOFI, rather than a complete redesign (which they won't do) is to add a lower gain setting (e.g. 34dB) on version 2.0, whenever they get around to that.

My GS Reflex M can handle the higher output carts at 41.5dB of gain, but it was designed and stress tested with those carts in mind. Lots of other phono preamps - same deal.

 

I’m seriously thinking of a Graham Slee Revelation. I like the non Riaa settings for 78’s, etc. I’ll probably get a loaner from them. The gain, I believe, is set at 42db. I’ve heard on their forum people using super high gain cartridges with no problem. My concern with the GS Revelation is the RIAA sound quality since this pre is a jack of all trades EQ wise. I’m also looking at the ELAC ppa-2. Using one of the dual outputs with an EQ for 78’s.

 

The RIAA sound quality should be excellent. The archival GS stages have the same circuitry as the corresponding regular models for RIAA. There are extra components on the board for archival EQ curves. So RIAA EQ should not suffer whatsoever.