Best phono stage?

MadFloyd · Nov 9, 2015

harleyguy said:
The best phono stage on the market is the TENOR PHONO 1.

Nope.

rockitman · Nov 9, 2015

The three phono's I would like to hear against my current reference...the Lamm LP1 Signiture, the ARC REF 10 and the Pass XS to give SS a chance to get back into the system.
Edit...I would want to hear the Doshi phono too....

dan31 · Nov 9, 2015

Atmasphere said:
We are finally going to offer a stand-alone after all these years (the MP-1 was introduced in 1989 so its been a while). This is mostly because customers are asking for it, not because we think it will be better. We've been offering line stages since 1996.

This is music to my ears. I hope the stand alone phono stage can have a low enough output impedence to work with my SS line stages 15k ohm input impedence.

harleyguy · Nov 9, 2015

MadFloyd said:
Nope.

I guess you never heard one

Bruce B · Nov 9, 2015

harleyguy said:
I guess you never heard one

No, just like you, we've never heard every high-end phono stage

harleyguy · Nov 9, 2015

Bruce B said:
No, just like you, we've never heard every high-end phono stage

I own the tenor, I listen to a lot of phonos but all my equipment is tenor

rockitman · Nov 9, 2015

I don't think there is one best phono stage...choose your preferred topology and select from that handful of statement products. It will be a matter of listening preference/taste and system synergy.

asiufy · Nov 9, 2015

MadFloyd said:
The most impressed I've ever been with a phono stage has been the Soulution linestage/phono. The fact that it was built in could have a lot to do with it.

Interesting! I had both (darTZeel and Soulution) in my system at the same time... darTZeel was better (and cheaper)

I guess the battery thing does make a difference, as Mike L put it so well...

audio-land · Nov 9, 2015

The best we have heard so far is Qualia Indigo Series Three Chassis Mono Block Phono Amplifier.

Frank750 · Nov 9, 2015

audio-land said:
The best we have heard so far is Qualia Indigo Series Three Chassis Mono Block Phono Amplifier.

Johan, your website link doesn't work.

MadFloyd · Nov 9, 2015

rockitman said:
The three phono's I would like to hear against my current reference...the Lamm LP1 Signiture, the ARC REF 10 and the Pass XS to give SS a chance to get back into the system.
Edit...I would want to hear the Doshi phono too....

I would love to compare those 4 as well. I remember when I auditioned the Allnic 3000V; it was not their most transparent model but I loved how 3D it was. Having had the Doshi I really don't think it is in the same league. Would really love to hear the ARC.

audio-land · Nov 9, 2015

Frank750 said:
Johan, your website link doesn't work.

Hi Frank, sorry we are upgrading our website since we have added some new lines and products this year.

MadFloyd · Nov 9, 2015

asiufy said:
Interesting! I had both (darTZeel and Soulution) in my system at the same time... darTZeel was better (and cheaper)
I guess the battery thing does make a difference, as Mike L put it so well...

Well then perhaps I will like the dartZeel. If you ever get the new model, let me know!

MadFloyd · Nov 9, 2015

harleyguy said:
I own the tenor, I listen to a lot of phonos but all my equipment is tenor

I think the message here is that you're probably not that objective.

Mike Lavigne · Nov 9, 2015

asiufy said:
Interesting! I had both (darTZeel and Soulution) in my system at the same time... darTZeel was better (and cheaper)
I guess the battery thing does make a difference, as Mike L put it so well...

I assume that was the prior version of the dart pre compared to the Solution.

you likely have heard the prototype at the Newport Show which was much better than the original old model, but you have not heard the full production new version. it's way better than the prototype.

I had the prototype in my room for a couple of months prior to the new one arriving.

MadFloyd said:
Well then perhaps I will like the dartZeel. If you ever get the new model, let me know!

since the new dart pre's are seriously back ordered it may take a while before he has one. feel free to come visit me for a listen.

rockitman · Nov 9, 2015

Frank750 said:
Johan, your website link doesn't work.

Yes a $60k solid state beast. I think I remember a Stereophile review a year or two back.
http://www.dagogo.com/qualia-compan...rmance-audio-components-at-high-end-in-munich

audioblazer · Nov 9, 2015

MadFloyd said:
The most impressed I've ever been with a phono stage has been the Soulution linestage/phono. The fact that it was built in could have a lot to do with it.

1 owner seems to prefer Simaudio phono to the built in phono of Soulution top pre

Ron Resnick · Nov 10, 2015

"The best phono stage on the market is the TENOR PHONO 1." harleyguy

rockitman said:
I don't think there is one best phono stage...choose your preferred topology and select from that handful of statement products. It will be a matter of listening preference/taste and system synergy.

This is stated perfectly. Thank you, Christian, for obviating the need for me to write up harleyguy in an Introspection and Hyperbole Control report.

Detlof · Nov 10, 2015

Atmasphere said:
Ah- that is a matter of debate!

IMO a phono section is best off housed within the chassis with the line stage. The reason is connectivity- its the job of the line stage to control the interconnect cable, and whatever circuitry it uses to do that will have to be housed with the phono section if the phono section is a stand-alone unit. Further, the mechanical connections that have to exist at the output of the phono section to the input of the line stage simply cannot compete with hardwired connections. This phenomena is extremely audible and is why we've never offered a stand-alone phono stage. Put in a nutshell you simply can't get them to sound as good.

The usual argument for an external phono section has to do with power supplies, but the fact of the matter is that preamp power supplies do not have nearly the issues with noise and crosstalk that are issues with integrated amps and stereo power amps! Preamps often have regulated power supplies or heavily bypassed supplies so crosstalk noise isn't a problem if the design is at all competent.

Now a reason for having a stand-alone unit anyway is if the unit has EQ settings for non-RIAA curves (perhaps including tape EQs) and thus also has a variety of inputs for different cartridges perhaps on multiple turntables. These things require some real estate that might take up quite a lot of space in a chassis. But if you are only playing stereo records than this is not a concern as they all have the same RIAA curve.

Ralph certainly has a point, at least what my ears tell me, regarding the phono section within the chassis of the line stage. Also Kondo does this for a reason, I suppose. I run Ralph's superb preamp-phono combo in my secondary system, comprised of Quads and the Jadis 200. Since I love chamber music, I often enough prefer this set up to the main system. The sound of two violins, the viola and the cello, if you are famiiar with the real thing, is a bitch to get right, but this system comes very close.

harleyguy · Nov 10, 2015

MadFloyd said:
I think the message here is that you're probably not that objective.

I see what you use lol you still like to cause trouble on this site

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