Best Phono You've Heard Under $2200

Jolida JD9A  rolled 12AX mullard NOS

Easy -- PS Audio Stellar phono pre.

Okay, it's $2,499, so it's a little above your ceiling. But this is the one Michael Fremer of Stereophile said should be considered by anyone planning to buy a phono pre AT ANY PRICE. And that's a guy who normally uses 5 and 6-figure phone pre's.

I bought one and compared it to my Lamm LP 2 tube phono pre -- and immediately sold the Lamm for twice the cost of the PS Stellar.

+1 Sutherland 20/20

(Sutherland told me the20/20 was the sweet spot on their price / performance curve.)

With his highly recommended LPS, the Sutherland 20/20 is $2650 - the insight with LPS is $1750 and an excellent phono stage and will meet the $2200 criteria. You may be able to get an Insight used for $8-900 and then add the LPS for $350, which represents tremendous value. It might be hard to find a used 20/20, but if you can, it should be under $2200 by a good bit,and adding the LPS is easier as it is in a separate box, whereas in the Insight, there is an internal board swap (I did myself with assistance from Ron over the phone). He is a great guy..

Quick note and not to derail my own thread.

20/20 arrived today getting first listens. It’s been on roughly 2 hours before I got a disc on. It’s a used unit and no idea how much time is on it already. It may have the new top as it was easy to get on and off.

Aurally, it’s interesting. Less mid bass but that seems to make the bass drum more pronounced. It could be the Lounge was smearing things in the midbass. Don’t know. Vocals however are for more centered and seem to sit in front of everything else, which is not something I’ve experienced before. Music also seems to emanate from beyond the width of the speakers. So I hear what reviewers have mentioned about wanting a touch more body to the sound, but it could also be those frequencies being more “organized”.

So far it has no problems with anything I’ve thrown at it, Gene Ammons, Napalm Death, Sonic Youth, Cramps, Godflesh, Peter Tosh, Muddy Waters, etc. It definitely has a more “hifi” feel to the sound as it’s very sharp and defined.