Superb PHONO Preamp ?

David, it was about time to tidy up around there! :) I have heard the preamp you are using (I built it) and maybe I imagine my prespective is a more than a bit tainted, but brand new and dead cold your unit beat the absolute tar out of my fully updated Vendetta SCP2-T which had beaten the poop out of the SCP2-B that Extremephono and others here have been familiar with the past almost fifteen years as a reference......I do want folks to keep in mind that there are probably only half a dozen of the SCP2-Ts out there and only four of the full function CTC units which include the updated Vendetta.......We aren't particularly commercial as we built it initially as an experiment to see how far we could take the design just as Jim Smith did with the Io and Jonathan Carr did with the Connoisseur.....Glad you feel spoiled David as that was our intent as Curl, Thompson and I built it for ourselves as did Jim and Jonathan with their units.......

Oops, make that Jim White in lieu of Jim Smith.....

Bob Crump

Very interesting responses.
I haven't made a decision yet, I've read some posts from a few ( albert porter for example )I know for some time and these are mostly equal with my experiences, but everyone has a different system.....

To extremephono:

..............how 'fast' these phono stages are relative to tube, no matter how good, tubes are 1000x slower than the best solid state. That's fact, no design can fundamentally make tube to have a faster rise-time and higher damping factor than solid state design...............

Hm, maybe you are right, maybe not.
I thought so too
BUT
I use very efficient speakers ( 99db, 8 ohms ) with Nelson Pass SE Design Aleph 0 Mono amps.
This is definetly the fastest possible reproduction which is possible.

Now I bought amps from Atma-Sphere, the socalled OTL Design,
I listened to so many amps ( CAT,WAVAC,Jadis .......) the Atma's blew them by far and they are absolutely on par with the Pass.
I use both a few times a week and I can tell you,The Atma-Sphere are online, not the Pass.
Ok, this will chance of course with different speakers, but I can honestly say

Tube is NOT Generally slower than transistor.

That was one reason I decided to ask the question in the headline.....

Regards

Have you heard audio tekne if not you haven't heard the best.....

Just my two cents:
I use a Cello Encore with RMC phono unit, the RMC on its turn fed by the Palette powersupply.
After spending my Analog life with the CAT Signature over some 9 years the Cello really washed my ears and brought music and life to my system.
I used to 'swear' for tubes all the way, but this Cello combination really changed all that, and more.
The CAT was fine, and i spend happy times with the beast, but the Cello is really about music.
further use: Grasshopper 3. Atmasphere MA-2.

Cello Encore and RMC phono unit may be reasonably priced on the market, worth to consider.