Best phono stage?
- Thread starter awsmone
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A bit of a side comment…. After reading so many forum recommendations and some reviews, I did try Aries Cerat Incito S line preamp in my system. I was very exited and really wanted to hear a good result. But that did not happened - in my system. No magic, very forward sound. I am just sharing my experience to emphasise once again - there is no absolute recommendation and solution. I also admire pictures and comments of AC, but than the reality of system synergy and personal biases strikes…
So, you think the issue could be somewhere else, like speakers Speakers are not an issue, whole system is quite well balanced. Do not want to derail the threat, but happy to discuss with you the details if you send me direct message…
The NAT preamps are also really nice sounding from what a friend told me after a shootout. It's ok that AC isn't everyone's cup of tea. Nothing is.
I have had a NAT preamp in the past and it was good... a bit noisy due to the very high gain but otherwise quite nice sounding...
AS community members like to send me photos of their analog beauties, which are put together with a lot of expertise. That's where the sense of beautiful combinations comes in.
Here is a Kondo fan, Feickert turntable combined with Glanz tonearm and AS Phonolab 1.5
balanced phono stage from www.Audiospecials.de.
The second tonearm is a Dynavector. I find it very elegant and above all, it sounds great. On the left under the AS Monphonic I see a Kondo Step UP GE-1 Transformer.
Thanks for this pictures
groovemaster
Here is a Kondo fan, Feickert turntable combined with Glanz tonearm and AS Phonolab 1.5
balanced phono stage from www.Audiospecials.de.
The second tonearm is a Dynavector. I find it very elegant and above all, it sounds great. On the left under the AS Monphonic I see a Kondo Step UP GE-1 Transformer.
Thanks for this pictures
groovemaster
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I acquired a used Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista Vinyl today. I know what the Nu-Vistas sound like in my X-Can V3, and I was hoping for the same kind of sound. No disappointment there! It also makes life easier as I run two SME 10 TTs, one with a Series V and a London Decca Reference, whereas the other has an M10 arm and I have several headshells that I swap quite a bit. The Nu-Vista Vinyl lets me save five inputs as either MM or MC (I'm mostly MI, but the MM input works fine for this) and all the associated resistive/capacitive loadings, gain, etc. So switching from one table to the other, or switching headshells on the second table just takes the push of an input button. So far, I'm delighted!
I know a 17th century oak cupboard chest isn't your usual equipment stand, but it's perfectly level and weighs about 350lb! No worries about footsteps here.
I know a 17th century oak cupboard chest isn't your usual equipment stand, but it's perfectly level and weighs about 350lb! No worries about footsteps here.
I like the fact that the phono is the largest piece of your equipmentI acquired a used Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista Vinyl today. I know what the Nu-Vistas sound like in my X-Can V3, and I was hoping for the same kind of sound. No disappointment there! It also makes life easier as I run two SME 10 TTs, one with a Series V and a London Decca Reference, whereas the other has an M10 arm and I have several headshells that I swap quite a bit. The Nu-Vista Vinyl lets me save five inputs as either MM or MC (I'm mostly MI, but the MM input works fine for this) and all the associated resistive/capacitive loadings, gain, etc. So switching from one table to the other, or switching headshells on the second table just takes the push of an input button. So far, I'm delighted!
I know a 17th century oak cupboard chest isn't your usual equipment stand, but it's perfectly level and weighs about 350lb! No worries about footsteps here.
Talk about dedication! Or is the actual setup hidden on the right?
The monoblocks (Quad II/forty) are at each side of the pillar and the Quad 2905s live on the other side, facing the sitting area of this open plan house (or they would, currently waiting for another new panel and making do with 30 year old DCM TimeFrame TF-700s). The Ayre C5-xe lives in the cupboard when I find I have to play something I only have on CD or SACD.
And talking of 'size matters'(!) - the Nu-Vista Vinyl is largely empty space inside, and even if on all day the giant heat sinks don't get above room temperature. I think it could have been safely placed in a smaller enclosure, and I would have preferred it. One reason I liked Quad gear was it's compact size - the FM4 tuner and QC-24 pre-amp pictured are tiny and cool and work just fine.
And talking of 'size matters'(!) - the Nu-Vista Vinyl is largely empty space inside, and even if on all day the giant heat sinks don't get above room temperature. I think it could have been safely placed in a smaller enclosure, and I would have preferred it. One reason I liked Quad gear was it's compact size - the FM4 tuner and QC-24 pre-amp pictured are tiny and cool and work just fine.
I would be more worried about the shelves, compact disks, brushes, and other assorted items balanced above your equipment than the chest below it. But I tend to worry.I acquired a used Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista Vinyl today. I know what the Nu-Vistas sound like in my X-Can V3, and I was hoping for the same kind of sound. No disappointment there! It also makes life easier as I run two SME 10 TTs, one with a Series V and a London Decca Reference, whereas the other has an M10 arm and I have several headshells that I swap quite a bit. The Nu-Vista Vinyl lets me save five inputs as either MM or MC (I'm mostly MI, but the MM input works fine for this) and all the associated resistive/capacitive loadings, gain, etc. So switching from one table to the other, or switching headshells on the second table just takes the push of an input button. So far, I'm delighted!
I know a 17th century oak cupboard chest isn't your usual equipment stand, but it's perfectly level and weighs about 350lb! No worries about footsteps here.
I guess the NuVista phono has to match the size of other components of the series.
Thats a very nice setup, congratulations. Quad is not that popular anymore, but it's a very reliable brand with an extensive history.
My musical education in the UK was courtesy of Gramophone and my father-in-law. Everything was Quad, SME, B&W, or maybe Linn and Naim if you thought the new stuff was any good! The only other standalone phono stage I have owned outside the Quad 24p and the Nu-Vista was a Ray Samuels Emmeline XR10B. It lasted about a week before I sold it. I guess I was brought up on musicality before anything (and everything) else!
The finest Phono stage is a 4 box CH Precision P1 but you can start with 1 box. I sell them regularly and keep them in stock. Call me anytime to audition this in my store.
sunnyaudiovideo.com
sunnyaudiovideo.com
All brands are classics now. It's funny to think about Linn and Naim as "new stuff". Looks like your father-in-law did an outstanding job!
Did you always listen to vinyl, or did you join the digital revolution at the time?
I left a Garrard SP25 MkIV back in the UK when I moved to Canada in 1985, and was seduced by CDs. I kept all my LPs, and then acquired all my brother's collection, and inherited a lot from a colleague. Got back into them with a Rega P3 in the early 2000's and then moved up to the SME.
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