New phonostage under $15K
- Thread starter abeidrov
- Start date
Hi Bazelio,
I have heard the Mayer D3A, Mayer differential D3A, Tron GT, and EMT JPA in the same system across many LPs and genre. I haven’t heard the Mayer 8020.
The D3A Mayer and the differential D3A is superior to all these other phonostages in absolute terms. The closest would be the EMT which is a very, very good phono stage indeed and one I could definitely enjoy but it is expensive. The EMT also has much more flexibility and allows you to adjust everything - a fiddlers dream. But this same advantage is possibly the disadvantage (although I can’t be sure) of the circuit topology versus the incredibly purist Mayer. The net result is the Mayer having even deeper insight than the EMT with tone to die for. Staging just has greater specificity and tangibility. Musically the Mayer just produces that analogue magic better. I sound like a Mayer salesman but I am wholly convinced on these products. I will be for sure getting a Mayer in due course. The Tron was quite good don’t get me wrong but nowhere in the league of these other 2.
You are probably right Bill. The Mayer all out system is very intriguing and could have that top of Himalaya magic. It is such a boutique manufacturer.
The EMT phono doesnt offer the grandest scale of presentation. Nonetheless it is very very accurate, neutral and magical to me. Its versatility totally wins me. I think you can use this phono in any system and especially great for system with many arms. Expensive yes. But theThomas Meyer top gears are a few folds more expensive though, not $15,000.
Tang
Hi Bill, sorry to correct you but you have not heard the D3a differential so far. Only two versions of the single ended D3a
BR
Thomas
Ah yes - sorry Thomas. It was the one designed optimised for the Red Sparrow. Apologies.
You are probably right Bill. The Mayer all out system is very intriguing and could have that top of Himalaya magic. It is such a boutique manufacturer.
The EMT phono doesnt offer the grandest scale of presentation. Nonetheless it is very very accurate, neutral and magical to me. Its versatility totally wins me. I think you can use this phono in any system and especially great for system with many arms. Expensive yes. But theThomas Meyer top gears are a few folds more expensive though, not $15,000.
Tang
Hi Tang,
Yes totally agree. I really love the EMT - it is utterly amazing for sure. It is a wonderful piece no doubt there.
Yes the 8020 is going to cost you but then that I can only imagine if off the charts. The D3A optimised to Red Sparrow was superior to Red Sparrow into EMT so I think if one were to go for an all silver differential D3A then the performance must be extraordinary. That said if you had the budget, 8020 must be literally mind blowing.
As long as we're talking about $15k phono stages, what about the Merrill Jens phono stage? I don't see much if any feedback here, yet it stands to be a very solid performer. Has anyone heard this phono stage?
Marshall nack of positive feedback who likes Allnic and CH strongly recommends this. He has also heard tenor and other good ones, likes the CH best, and recommended me this for the budget, over PM. Never heard it but would like to
Just read Fremer's glowing review of the vdH The Grail. It's less than $10k, and according to him, it was almost every bit as good as his $50k CH P1, even surpassing it in terms of lushness.
I think he used the vdH Colibri, also reviewed in the same issue. He mentioned he used other carts with success, but didn't list which.
The VPS-100 doesn't compare in price. I believe it's roughly double the stated price point in the thread title.
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