What's your phono stage history?

I hope so! I’m still using the Yamaha with a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon turntable and bought the Lounge and a Bronze 2M for a Debut Carbon Esprit that’s in my man cave. Don’t tell my wife! Lol

 

All from Hagerman Labs

Bugle - opamp based phono pre that re-ignited my interest in playing vinyl

Cornet 2 - all tube design I built. Vinyl playback to a much higher level. Vintage tubes are key. Caused me to upgrade record player to Well Tempered Amadeus and Grado Reference Master. Digital is kicked out of listening room

Trumpet - refines the detail and grace of Cornet and adds much deeper bass playback. Vintage Mullard and Amperex tubes take this far beyond what was possible with modern tubes. Digital is now banished for life from the listening room.

And that is my story.

 

Tangential....When did the need for a phono stage become critical? To the best of my failing memory back in the day in the U.K. it seemed all "serious"amps used to have an onboard phono stage: was this not the case in the U.S.A? . Question is was the "need" driven by the latter,or was the consensus arrived at that the "on board" phono stage was not sufficient and could easily be improved upon?

 

•Marantz 2245 & 2285b receiver built-ins
•Pro-ject Tube Box S
•MoFi Studiophono
•Lounge LCR mk3 silver
•Parasound JC3 Jr.

I also recently did an in-home, 2 week demo of a Graham Slee Reflex M with PSU1. Mighty fine sounding preamp.

 

Other than inboard phono stages in my various recievers, integrated amps and tuner/preamps...... the Parasound Halo JC3+! There, I'm done now.

 

Whoa, how could boutique garage-based builders charge thousands and thousands for RIAA equalization and frippery, and that special analog "I don't know what" without the "need" for "high end" preamps that "blow my previous model out of the water?" Your fancy-ear card will no have to be taken away, and with a hurumph.

 

For all your anti-snob attitude, you're the one who admitted after buying the Marantz TTS51 that it's a "wonderful and incredible turntable". Huh, imagine that. $1500 for a spinning platter. Sounds silly, doesn't it? And yet...

Just because you're ignorant of how much better something may sound via gear upgrades doesn't negate that there are enormous benefits to having dedicated specialized gear such as a terrific phono preamp to handle these duties.

All I see you post around here is the same crap in every thread. Why do you even bother visiting threads about equipment you have no interest in, aside from belittling that gear and those who purchase it?

I mean, really... what is the point of all this? We get it. You think that vintage cheap gear from CraigsList is enough for you and that you think anything higher-end is pointless and that those who buy that gear are stupid fools.

Why do you care (SO MUCH!) what others do with their money and how does that affect you in any way, shape, or form? It doesn't. Live & let live. Let others do whatever they want and resist the urge of barging into threads just to post more of your rude sarcastic nonsense.

Move on and get new material. Why, oh why, do those with the most arrogant tone are always those with so little or no experience? I held my tongue for the longest time but after seeing months upon months of this, I had call you out publicly. I had enough of this garbage. The forum wasn't created for this crap.

 

Internal on a JVC receiver purchased in the early 90s

Internal on a Nakamichi Sr-3A

Pro-Ject Tube Box DS (with encouragement on plunging into an external stage from @Strat-Mangler). Thanks strat.

 

...and a harumph to you as well.

 

A restored to spec Pioneer always makes me giddy like a kid on Christmas day, may surprise a few people.

 

You're quite welcome. Glad you're enjoying it!

 

Schiit Mani to onboard Teac AI-2000 to onboard Rega Brio-R to Tavish Design Vintage.

 

I've had a few and now on the hunt for something new.... My list of phono stages goes like this
1)Rega Phono A2D
2)Yaqin MS-23B
3)Musical Paradise MP-P1
4)Mcintosh C48 on board
5)iFi Iphono2
6)Goldnote PH-10

As of right now I am using the on board phono on my Yamaha AS-2100 with a Fidelity Research FRT-3 step for my denon DL-103R. I think my next purchase will be a Graham slee Reflex M and Elevator.

Cheers,
Ray

 

Had my eye on these for a while. Unfortunately when I inquired I was informed that they don't make 220-240v models. They only offer an international version on their much more expensive Adagio.

I'm looking at this one now custom tube phono stage

 

Exactly. Or just to match a different cart. Sometimes a side-grade or whatever.

 

Looks NICE!

 

Over the past decade plus:

Art Phono USB, Parasound Zphono, Musical Fidelity V-LPS, Schiit Mani, and currently a Marantz PM8006 integrated amp.

The phono stage in the Marantz is very nice, and I don't miss add'l cables, boxes, PSUs, etc.

 

I own an almost crazy expensive phonostage, a Viva Fono, but, I bought it from a friend who is the US distributor of the brand who had a cosmetically damaged unit that was take to audio shows and could no longer be used for that purpose. I got it for a too-cheap-to-pass-on price. I haven't really gone around comparing and auditioning different phono stages.

But, I know a couple "kids" (people in their early twenties) who are passionate about tube gear and build their own amps, linestages, DACs, headphone amps and phono stages. The listen to a lot of different gear and then try to build variants of different designs which, to them, sound good. I tend to agree with their audio preferences, so I don't feel that uneasy passing on their opinions on a second hand basis. They both like the sound of the EAR 834 phono stage, and have copied that design. What they don't like is the "cheap" power supply of that unit and have put in something that they think is better. I haven't heard it, but, I know a number of other people that also like the EAR.

 

I like the EAR, it is simply a nice natural sounding design.

I don't own one, nor would I buy one, because I am of the opinion that the price is stupid expensive.

I don't know about the power supply.

There are clones out there but they are of questionable quality.

A good quality EAR clone, can be built to retail for around $800.

 

This is a design dating back to 1996. It was $895 in 2005. I'm unsure what the initial retail price for it was in '96 but I've read that the price is now roughly triple what it initially was.

It is a cheap design which can be had much cheaper if buying a clone but with understandably appropriately cheaper components (lesser quality caps, for instance). From what I've read over the years, the clones sound amazingly close to the real thing once the clone's components are upgraded. A member from this board also did a shootout with a friend.

What are the stock ECC83 tubes in the 834P

With clones, you also have the ability to get tried & true upgraded components and either assemble it yourself if you're handy with a soldering iron (I'm not!) or pay somebody to assemble it for you. It's a simple straightforward design so it shouldn't take long to complete. NOS tube-rolling also makes an impactful difference, from what I've read.

Even though I don't consider myself in need of this phono preamp, I will eventually need to take the plunge, if only to satisfy my curiosity. The one I've got my eye on right now is the Herron VTPH-2A.

 

My point. I would by a highly upgraded clone, that might be easily better than the real EAR. But... it would need to be a quality build. Some time ago, I figured that it could be accomplished and with a retail price of $800.

 

You're not wrong. It'd be basically easier to just get either one which already has upgraded components or to simply buy all the components yourself and have somebody assemble it for you.

The PSU, for instance, isn't renowned for being terrific and can therefore be a little noisy on the MC setting. One of the upgrades is changing the PSU for a better unit. In some cases, people even put it in a separate box to minimize/eliminate EMI.

 

Bummer, as I found the upgrade from the internal of the Brio-R to Tavish to be substantial--assuming from your profile you're coming from the Brio-R as well. It's very clean and dynamic and does not suffer from tube warmth or bloom--so it might not scratch your tube itch, but it does offer superior dimensionality to the solid state stages I auditioned or had in my system. I also had my eye on the Don Sachs, so do report if you pick one up.

 

I'm fine buying one that has been already assembled using better parts, which is why I mentioned the $800 price tag. There are several clones on the market with so-so parts available assembled for a few hundred dollars.

I'm fine putting the PSU in a separate case, in fact, I prefer that I buy one this way.

 

Curious? Did you go for the Classic or the Vintage?