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LCR phono stages we know about

Lately, I have become enthralled with LCR phono stages, based on some personal listening experiences and on the fact that many designers I respect are involved in LCR phono design. However, I don't really feel that I have a complete picture re what's out there in terms of commercial products. If you own or have heard an LCR phono stage and have an opinion, please name the product and feel free to render an opinion of it, compared to other phono stages of any type with which you are familiar. Thanks.
lewm
trx850
2 posts
 
That's my Valab LCR-1 phono stage in the LCR riaa shootout your're linking to on Troels site. I found the design so interesting, that I decided to buy one to try it out. Both build quality and sound quality is very good.
jarrett
38 posts
 
I own a Thomas Mayer D3A based LCR phono stage and 10Y line stage. They replaced a Coincident phono stage. The Mayer pieces are more transparent, smoother and have a much more elegant tonal balance. As an added benefit, they are dead quiet even with 80dB gain. No, they are not cheap, but I have no intention of ever selling them for another setup.
enginedr1960
173 posts
 
I received my Vallab LCR-1 phono stage yesterday . This phono pre is very good . I will comment more after break in .
indieroehre
33 posts
 
For long time I searched for a LCR for a good price. I am using now the Ampearl RE-2030 LCR from Andrey Kuchik(ampearltube.com). A very good one, same league as my Nagra VPS. Is my second one. One is build with EC86 and E180F, the other one with 6F12P. The 6F12P sounds a little bit warmer. Both have a tube power supply. Both are MM versions with about 45db gain. No hum, no hiss. I have more hiss with the Nagra VPS. For 700 Euros a bargain.
lewm OP
13,111 posts
 
Thanks for your inputs, Jarrett, engine, and Indie.  Sometime after my last post in 2016, I bought a Manley Steelhead.  It suits my particular needs for (1) multiple phono inputs, (2) MM and MC gain capability, and (3) LCR.  It's LCR through the MM gain stage and uses autoformers to add gain for the MC inputs, so far as I can tell.  Manley are fairly secretive about this circuit, but I got some info from an interview that Evanna Manley gave to 6 Moons Audio, where she described the output stage.  From her description, I was able to tweak the output a bit which has made a positive improvement.  Thomas Mayer seems to make some great stuff, and I envy you, Jarrett.  Indie, what the heck is a 6F12P tube? Is that a Russian designation where maybe some of the letters are moved over from that cyrillic alphabet?
I still have curiosity for the BMC MCCI and for the 47 Labs 4712, which has the lowest input impedance of any I know about, nearly zero.  I'd have to have one in my own system, at this point.  Talk only goes so far.
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