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Phono Stage Upgrade


mjr4078

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I have received some great advice here so lets try another topic. I am looking to upgrade my phono stage from what's built into my Rotel RA-1592 MKII. Using a Rega P3 with an Ortofon bronze cartridge played through Cornwall IVs. I have been switching back and forth between a Rega Fono MM MK5 and an iFi Zen Phono. I am not very impressed with either although the iFi Zen is extremely quiet. I am looking for more dynamic range and bottom end. Thanks for any help or suggestions. 

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I’ve heard good things about the Zen. But if you can up your budget a bit, look at the SPL Phonos preamp. Very quiet and dynamic. It’s a neutral sounding piece that doesn’t editorialize much. Just a good solid phono stage with lots of gain and features.

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The iFi Zen Phono is a quiet simple entry level phono stage. Nothing special .The MK5 FONO MM is the latest iteration of the award-winning phono stage, which has received multiple awards from the prestigious "What Hi-Fi?" magazine as the Best Phono Stage in its price range.Should fit perfect to your Reaga P 3

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3 hours ago, billybob said:

Yes,. The Puffin ...*Full Range used or still using and others.

it´s pitty that there is none european distribution network for the Puffin, shipment and import tax make the device real expensive . 

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7 minutes ago, MicroMara said:

it´s pitty that there is none european distribution network for the Puffin, shippent and import tax make the device real expensive . 

What are you using George?

Think you are using an outboard phono... thanks!

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55 minutes ago, billybob said:

What are you using George?

Think you are using an outboard phono... thanks!

I have two tube phono pre amps , one is build into my DIY modified Dynaco PAS 4 Tube Preamplifier. The Phonostage contains 2 x matched Electro Harmonix 6DJ8 Goldpin /Grid and 2 x matched 12AX7 Electro Harmonix Goldpin / Grid , the second phono prestage is a external german DIY modified SteinMusic with NoS Siemens PCC  88 .

 

P.S. have a third , had forgotten... LoL ..a modified transisitor Phonostage built in my modified SS Marantz SA 11-S3

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Okies, you asked.  I was in the same place you are and wanted a Puffin but way too many insane youtube (don't say it. I'm from Duckburg & ZERO chances of hearing one.) comments on the Schiit Mani for about $150.  Easy set up too.  I just call it my magic box.  lol  It flat cooks imo at that price point.  Running a Linn table w/a Dynavector 20X2 MC cart into a bottom of the food chain PrimaLuna integrated into my LS.  The Mani does produce and puts me in my happy place for now.  Going top of the food change on the PL integrated AND gonna try the Puffin then.  Everyone that has one swears by them so there's that.  These guys in here know what's shakin for sure.  Tons of options on the Puffin too that WORK for you.  Bottom line?  It's your nickel.   :)

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On 6/12/2022 at 1:54 AM, mjr4078 said:

I have received some great advice here so lets try another topic. I am looking to upgrade my phono stage from what's built into my Rotel RA-1592 MKII. Using a Rega P3 with an Ortofon bronze cartridge played through Cornwall IVs. I have been switching back and forth between a Rega Fono MM MK5 and an iFi Zen Phono. I am not very impressed with either although the iFi Zen is extremely quiet. I am looking for more dynamic range and bottom end. Thanks for any help or suggestions. 

 

Hi,

 

I also had the Ortofon Bronze and I find what you write: lack of dynamics and soft bass. Rather than changing the phono pre I changed the cartridge: a Stanton 881S and an Audiotechnica VM740ML: finally dynamics and nice deep bass. So why not try another cartridge or the Ortofon Black stylus on your Bronze! 😉

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I did not see your budget. Maybe I missed it. I cycled several in and out over the years. Not terribly expensive by A/V standards and I have no reason to look any further. Lehmann Black Cube SE II. Two unit piece with separate power supply. Lots of loading and gain options.

 

https://www.lehmannaudio.com/phono-stages/black-cube-se-ii.html

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  • 1 month later...

First I must say I cannot run with some of the big dogs on this forum but I did want to try another phono preamplifier with my Denon DL-110 and Fluance RT-81 turntable. I do not want to spend more than what I paid for the turntable on a preamp. Right now the Denon has increased in price where it is much higher than the Fluance though but not when I bought it. Having an electronic background and building multiple tube amplifiers along with many SS amplifiers, most being Firstwatt clones, I built the phono preamplifier I have been using for many years but wanted to try some of the newer designs on the retail market in the $200 range. I considered building the diy pearl 2 project of Nelson Pass' but the boards themselves are $200 and the design is 20 years old. I placed an order for the Schiit mani but it has a 2 to 4 week delay in shipping so I canceled that order and decided to try the iFi Zen after reading and watching some reviews. From what I saw from pictures on the inside it is a new design using SMD components with an unheard of 151db noise floor which is a real benefit with our horn speakers. This is just one of the positive reviews I saw on youtube which helped me make this decision. I will have to spend some time with it when it gets to my house to see if it is any better than the one I have been using for years. The one I built is dead quite on my LaScala's with nothing I can really fault about it but I will report on my opinion when I listen with it for a few weeks. If I like what I hear I may even spring for the $69 power supply that is supposedly really quite. 

 

 

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I tend to take reviewers with a grain of salt. Never know if they are biased to a certain product or getting paid but comparing the little $200 to a Pass Labs $4000 to $5000 phono preamp is what caught my attention. There are many more positive reviewers on youtube as well. Best to read, watch many reviewers before believing what one may say. Being really satisfied with the one I built, have I just decided to spend the price of a good meal for the family these days to see what the hype is about and see if there is really an improvement over the one I am using. Amazon has a good return policy but I rarely if ever return anything.  

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I received the iFi phono pre yesterday and and after 3 or 4 hours of listening I can say I cannot fault it in any way. A touch more clinical in the mids but bass is better and more dynamic than the one I built many years ago with mids and highs much the same with slight differences. The one I built is from a proven design but an older design that has served me well using a single op amp. I do like the ability it has of swapping op amps for a different sound. I have tried 3 different ones, NE5532, OPA2134 and LM4562 each giving a different but pleasing sound. The iFi has a very dynamic sound, super quite, with excellent soundstage but not as tube sounding as say my old one with the OPA2134 or NE5532. The NE5532 is an industry workhorse found in most all pro audio recording electronics. I believe it will stay in my system instead of going back to my old one. Not a day and night difference but a very engaging sound. I am almost positive it will be an improvement for anyone using the built in phono stage in their turntable, receiver or preamplifier for $200. 

 

I like the ability of using a moving coil cartridge in a $200 phono amp. It has 4 settings MM, high MC, low MC and untra low MC and I am using the high MC with my Denon DL110. I do not believe I will ever go back to a MM phono cartridge after having a MC cartridge for a number of years. For years one using a MC cartridge had to shell out a lot of bucks for a phono preamplifier to be able to use a MC phono cartridge. Many with expensive step up coils. This iFi has been reviewed against the Shiit Mani being it is around the same price. At least it was a short time ago. The iFi is a new design using newer SMD components of a higher quality throughout if that means anything. After doing some research of iFi I have found it is a company based in the UK but the product is built in China like Apple and many other companies. When building with those tiny SMD components robots put the parts on a board then it is cooked in an oven till the solder on the pads of the board melt securing the part making it easy to built many boards when set up and running without a lot of cost in labor like discrete components that have to be put on a board by hand. A piece of equipment of this caliber using discrete components would be much much higher.

 

Modern designed and built products like this one are going to set a higher standard at a price point many would not be able to fit in their budget a few years, decades ago. Like all audiophile product you reach a certain level of performance and getting to the next level is going to be very costly with just subtle differences. 

 

Lets just say for now I like it. Opinion can certainly change with more time listening.

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On 6/12/2022 at 7:37 AM, Budman said:

http://parksaudiollc.com/

i'm using 2 of them

I wish he was still doing all his tube amp designs.

 

2 hours ago, henry4841 said:

The NE5532 is an industry workhorse found in most all pro audio recording electronics.

I have an old ('80s) Peavey mixer that has a bunch of the NE5532 ICs in it. I've dismantled it, but it was a tank and workhorse of a mixer. Also have a Soundcraft mixer (late '90s) that is full of them. And those chips are still being used.

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