2. analog
  3. 136525-78306

What phono pre am I looking for?

It needs to be quiet, fast, dynamic and not cost an arm and a leg, $1500? Plays nice with a VPI/dynavector 20x2 low without a sut. I listen and enjoy most everything but, the British Invasion, Willie Nelson, Gillian Welch and jazz take the cake. I have tubes, an LTA pre, decware set amp and omega speakers. 
The new channel islands peq-1 looks mighty fine and dusty uses the 20x2 as his personal cart, which can't be bad?  New or used no problem. 

128x128jmolsberg
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Ok, the JC3+ is another $3000 phono stage, LOL
Parasound released JC3 Junior for half price and here is the review

The Gold Note PH-10 cost 50% less than Parasound JC3+
Not sure how it competitive with JC3 Jr.

Has anyone compared them ?


P.S. I could get new PH-10 from Italy with warranty for $1120 (in black or silver) including delivery to my door. It’s an eye candy, love its design and compact size.
invictus005
597 posts
 
@helomech Both are very different sounding preamps, but yes, it absolutely does. Micromega is pure magic. How they’re able to do this for under $300 is a complete mystery. MyGroov is the most 3D vibrant phono stage I’ve ever heard. It’s as if the contrast was turned to max, but so pleasant and addicting. Micromega also makes my absolute favorite digital components BTW.

JC3+ is a bit more extended in the treble, but slightly flatter overall in presentation. It lacks some of MyGroov’s bouncy fun factor, but is a more solid no nonsense preamp. It’s almost like an instrumentation tool. Gets out of the way and showcases all of the other components in the system. John Curl is a legend and a master circuit designer. He's been perfecting phono circuitry since the 60's. 

If anyone’s interested, I have the original Parasound JC3 (not the +) for sale in mint condition. PM for details.
skaterdude50's avatar
skaterdude50
2 posts
 
I'm just putting this out there, and as a warning I no NOTHING about cartridge types (MM? LOMC?) nor do I know practically any brands for different preamps... I'm 19, Im learning :)

HOWEVER. I know my super basic tube tech. and anyone who knows tubes knows the fairchild twins. 

specifically its 20 some tubes and 14(?) or so transformers that act as multiple gain stages, minimizing overall distortion and allowing incredible control over distortion characteristics. never-mind that negative feedback and/or pentodes and all that can sometimes yield even cold sounding amps, while vintage Japanese single triode (300b) theater amps are crazy lush... thats a single, tiny, power tube per channel..... its tricky... 
browndt
97 posts
 
If you want a fabulous phono amp try a Herron VTPH-2A. I have one in a very high level system. Nothing that has been suggest here even comes close to the sound it produces. This is a very silent amp that is slightly
warm but with very precise sound reproduction. And the support after the sale is excellent from Keith Herron.
jsm71
141 posts
 

@jmolsberg, a friend has the JC3 phono stage and we compared that to Don’s one weekend. They are different but I think comparable in quality. The JC3 clearly sounds SS where Don’s does sound like tubes in comparison.

The Sachs phono stage is really clean, not lush sounding. You said you were worried about too many tubes. I mentioned I have the LTA MZ2 that you have, and you know how clean, not tubey that is. I also have the LTA ZOTL40 amp, so I’m tubes all the way. If I had a bunch of iron core transformers and/or coupling capacitors mucking things up, I might have too many tubes, but the LTA gear avoids that thankfully. I have upgraded all the tubes with NOS that I think brings out the best.

I used to have a Cary SLP 98L, with the included phono stage. That was tubey sounding, which I liked but I didn’t realize how much was being muffled by that unit. Don’s phono stage took me two or more levels higher in quality from the built in phono section of the Cary, and you know how good the MZ2 is.


More to discover