Buy an Audio Research SP10 MkII or an SP11 MkII ?

I have to disagree with Jafox on the gain. I am currently using the SP10 with a Spectral MCR at around 0.2 mv. Also used it with other cartridges in that range. While I will agree it will be better with higer output cartridges, I have gobs of gain at 12 oclock volume setting. The real issue is if your amp is not enough power for your speaker sensitivity, then there will be an issue.
On the line stage, yes I think there are better. I personally do not use my SP10 for line stage. But the reason is not sonics. Its tubes. I dont want to "waste" the tubes in my SP10 for non-phono listening. I use a Cary SLP98 for my CD stuff. The 98 has a decent phono stage but not up to the caliber of the 10. Also, one other note. If you plan to make CD from your records, you cant use a low output cartridge on your table with the SP10. That low output is all your gonna get at the tape record terminals. You need high output if you are going to record your vinyl. I make CD /digital of my records for use in my Ipod (great for travel) and for my car.

Holy cow, I never could have had success with a 0.2mv cartridge with my SP-10. Mine was an unmodified MK II, and like I mentioned above, used RAM tubes. Perhaps the Sovteks or other available tubes of today are quieter which allows for higher gain. But still, the SP-10 was simply too noisy for me after I switched to the LS5/PH2. And, I kept the low noise RAM tubes when I sold the SP-10 and used them in the LS5 which worked mighty well. But again, they were not used in a highly critical phono stage. So it could indeed come down to quieter tubes of today.

Yes, the SP-10 was an outstanding product, but much has happened in the 20 years since then and to spend $2500-3000 here, unless you are a collector, just makes little sense.

John

One thing to note is that while the LS5 is a great product-I still like it better than virtually every line stage ARC has made because it has the tube-like qualities they seemed to move away from in the SP 11, SP 15 and LS 2 hybrid designs-and an excellent alternative (with a good phono stage) to the SP-10, it is a balanced only output design, as I recall (Jafox, am I correct in my recollection?) so you'll need a balanced setup, something I couldn't do in my system. There are adapters available from companies like BAT and I'd imagine ARC, but they will to some extent degrade the sound. Of course, you could always replace the amp with the VT150s that ARC came out with around the same time as the LS5, but I didn't get the impression that the original poster wanted to do much changing to the rest of the system.

So if I look at a LS5, should it be Mark I, II or III and what should I use for a Phono stage, Audion Research ???

oh ... and one more thing ... does the LS5 do the same holographic sound stage thing as the SP10 ?