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Preamp with near-reference quality built in phono?

First some background. About 6 months ago I decided that I want to get off of the continuous upgrade path, and plotted a 2-3 year course for purchasing high quality, reference or near-reference components. The first itch I satisfied was my digital source; I threw away all of my "budget" transports, DACs, upsamplers, digital cables, etc., and purchased a high-quality single-box machine that does a number of things well and has the most musical red book playback I have heard. I then turned my attention to analog. I have not finalized my choice of arm and cartridge, but my table is flexible enough to support many.

Here is my current dilemma: I currently want to upgrade my phono preamp to something that compliments the rest of my system a little better, and that is flexible enough to work with as I settle in on a cartridge/arm combo (for example MM and MC would be nice). Concomitantly, I have begun to wonder if my decision to go with a passive linestage was a good one for the long term. I have read the arguments both for and against the passive, and having tried mine in someone else's system, I have found that its performance can be grossly impacted by changes in surrounding components. So my question is this: does a full function preamp, with phono, exist where the built in phono stage is comparable to best of breed, stand alone phono preamps? Since this is a long-term project, budget is not a huge concern, although I would like to stay under $10k if possible.
sdatch
rushton's avatar
rushton
2,445 posts
 
OK, I'm confused, where does this comment come from in the context of the cordial discussion we've been having in this thread, Microjack? I'm confused by your intent in saying this.
Sound effects are another matter and any number of alternatives may surpass this unit when reproducing gunfire or car doors slamming.
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macrojack
1,303 posts
 
So sorry. I didn't intend to confuse anyone.

The comment you question was inserted vis a vis the greater context of values expressed and implied on this site, if not specifically this post.

Home theatre seems to have implanted concerns for physical impact over emotional impact.

Nonetheless, I'll stand by my recommendation. JRDG Concerto P.
sdatch OP
204 posts
 
Macrojack and Rushton, et al., thanks for the response and the insightful comments. As far as the home theater thing goes, I actually have a separate system for that purpose, and thus am looking for an audio only preamp. I am not limiting myself to tubes; in fact I am in the process of making arrangements with my local Spectral dealer to try out 2 of their preamps in the next week or so.
macrojack
1,303 posts
 
Sdatch,

Spectral is an equally good choice.
What I wanted to convey in my original message was simply that you choose something that will survive the coming decimation of underutilized manufacturers and avoid the inevitable elimination of NOS tubes. As they become more scarce, tubes will become more expensive to the point of absurdity unless, like me, you think they are there already.

Rowland works best for me because I live in Colorado and because he is simplifying his products and reducing their purchase price while continuing to improve them.

Whatever you choose, I think you will find that it is difficult to ignore the allure of advertised innovation unless you turn your back on the audio press.

I no longer see anything advertised that I want to own. Everything falls into one of three categories: don't want, can't use, or can't afford. And that makes me very happy with what I have. Doesn't that sound like the formula for a permanent system?
sdatch OP
204 posts
 
(Sorry for the length) - I'd like to provide some closure to this thread and thank everyone for their advice and encouragement. I actually ended up backtracking, sort of, and bought a separate phono stage (C-J EV-1), as well as a new power amp (Atma-Sphere S-30 MkII). I found that the image stability and ultra-low noise floor associated with my Placette Passive were too desireable to give up. So, after some auditioning of preamps, I went out and got the C-J and have been enjoying my analog ever since. The amp? Well, I had wanted more "speed" in my system, and with the S-30 I cetainly got that characteristic, and a whole lot more. Wife, kids, and job permitting I would like to offer up a review of the S-30 in the next couple months as I grow accustomed to it.
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