Phono stage for tube system - recommendations?

A couple of years ago I owned an xono and built a first generation K+K[no longer available]I played them in my system side by side as my table had two arms.It was close but to my ears in my system I preferred the K+K and I sold the Pass.I decided to remove my passive bent tvc volume control and its cables from my system and got kevin to build me a maxxed K+K with a stepped attenuator using audio note tantalum resistors.He installed all the goodys available at that time the Cardas caps and 1931 x formers and the audio note resistors on the board and a cartridge loading board.It just killed my homebuilt unit and although I no longer owned the Pass I assume it would have been a similar result.Considering the cost I dont think you can get a new unit with close to the performance of the K+K and if retofit upgrades are available no one is more approachable for advice or help than Kevin.

I am in a similar situation. I'm currently using a VAC Avatar Super integrated tube amp with a Walker Audio Signature solid state phono stage with great results. I have used tube phono stages before, but I tend to agree with Lloyd Walker on this issue, at very low signal levels, SS is better.

I've been to Lloyd's home, and he has tube amp and preamp, but SS phono stage. His theory being that signals at very low levels are even more prone to 'unbalance' in the dual triode tube stage than even low level signals in a tube preamp. It's hard to find perfectly matched tubes, and tubes that will stay perfectly matched over their lifespan. This is more audible at lower signal levels. YMMV.

Cheers,
John

For SS phono,don't overlook the Aqvox 2CI.It is a sleeper.Great soundstage,timbre and PRAT.I use mine with a tube integrated-simply delightful.

Jmcgrogan2, if what you say is true, then Lloyd has not spent a lot of time working with tubes! The 'unbalance' issue is literally a red herring.

Dan,

Since our get together, I did both the Audio Note tantalum resistor upgrade, as well as a MOSFET upgrade on the CCS...if anyone out there with the K&K still uses the old Supertex part, switching to the IXYS part is a massive upgrade (all for 89 cents from Mouser).

I wouldn't mind another friendly sit-down with your Doshi ;-))

-Richard