Turntable upgrade recommendations: SME vs AMG vs Technics vs other

So, I communicated with a few of my email audiophile friends, and someone has heard both the Ypsilon VPS-100 phono stage and the FM223 phono linearizer, and his comments are that the FM223 was too analytical and too noisy; he thought the Ypsilon to be very detailed, but with slightly diminished dynamics. . . 

In the meantime, I heeded the suggestion by @lewm  and got a SOTA relfex clamp, and it does improve the sound of the Rega P8 markedly so, even moreso than the spindle weight that I was using.  The clamp really cleans up the sound coming from the vinyl, and it is a very noticeable improvment for anyone with a Rega TT!

Dear @drbond  :  too noisy? with all respect to your audiophile friends that " noisy " they heard through the FMA just comes from one or more links in their audio systems and that noise through FMA can't be " hidden " .

The FMA audio items are the best " tools " to analise how good is your or any one else audio system.

Analytical?, with all respect too for your friends they just don't know for sure how the live MUSIC sounds seated at near field.

FMA electronics can sound in any way but analytical or noisy, neither with the 123.

True experience knowledge levels is what need your friends, I don't care about any of them I just care about you as the OP .

The SOTA was fine but the Basis is even better, I own both. and both can run with the RP10 too. 

I find the impressions of the OP's friend to be quite plausible. In the signal path, every active device increases noise, and every reactance creates phase shift.

@rauliruegas

My friend actually is an analog-only audiophile, and has been for decades. He had the FM223 in his system for a few years, and then moved on to other phono stages, including the Ypsilon VPS-100, which he has currently in his system. I don’t know his actual music tastes, but he has extensive experience in listening to various components (if they’re analog).

Yes, I suppose I could’ve purchased the Basis reflex clamp for temporary use on the Rega, while I decide on an exact upgrade, but one thing I like about the SOTA reflex clamp is that it’s not a twist on clamp, but just has a lever that you press, which I suppose would give more consistent clamping that a twist on style of clamp, which I think SOTA also has a version of. As to which clamp it better, I cannot aver, as I’ve only ever heard the SOTA. However, I’m sure the Basis is also an excellent clamp.

I would recommend to anyone with a turntable that doesn’t come with a clamp/weight (which includes all Regas) that they should definitely try a clamp, as the sonic improvement is so marked that even my wife (who doesn’t even have a "good ear") can tell a significant improvement.

I’ve heard the Ypsilon in a system with which I was quite familiar, and I thought it was superb, but in comparison to other very expensive phono stages, one must keep in mind that it makes only 39db of gain. If you own a high end LOMC cartridge you must account for a SUT or an additional active gain device in the signal path. In fact even with a SUT, the owner of the Ypsilon had a complaint which I proved to him was due to an insufficient amount of total gain, for his Lyra Atlas SL. I convinced him to add an active linestage, and that made him happy (after he spent another $26K for the linestage).