Phono preamp question
vair68robert, thank you. I've decided to repurpose my budget towards a suitable/better cartridge that I can use with this turntable and move it to better turntable if/when I decide to upgrade the table. I'll post a separate thread to ask for cartridge recommendations after I've had the opportunity to do some background research. |
If you want to try a tube phono preamp,you should give this a try. You can return it if you don’t like it! http://www.needledoctor.com/Bellari-VP130-Tube-Phono-Preamp?sc=2&category=35249 Or this! http://parksaudiollc.com/budgiepreamp.html |
Linn and the associated 'flat-earthers' form the view 'rubbish in = rubbish out'. That being the case improvements upstream (closer to source) ought to improve the sound. In my experience this is true - a better phono stage makes an incredible difference to the sound produced. The phono stage has the greatest amplification of signal in a vinyl music chain, as a result it has the most difficult job of all in terms of its role. As to which phono stage... the world is your oyster... I tracked down and purchased a Vendetta SCP2a - the stage I had beforehand was very good namely a Whest 0.2 - but the Vendetta has ended my search |
I'm late to the party here but hold onto that GFP-565, it is a great phono pre-amp! I've been using my 565 as a phono pre-amp for the last 17 yrs or so. I recently bought one of the highly reviewed ifi iphono2 phono pre-amps thinking it would be an upgrade. It was not! In comparison to the 565, the iphono2 sounds, thin, threadbare, weak, distant, and borderline bright. I'm sending it back to Amazon, where i bought it for $500. The 565 rocks as a phono preamp. Works great with any high output MC cartridge. If anyone doubts how great the 565 is (and I'm speaking of the phono section--the line section is not as good), you can get one on ebay for less than $300 and see for yourself. Just be prepared to have your socks blown off. |
I have to chime in with agreement, the GFP-565 phono pre-amp is quite good. Better in fact than anything I tried in the $500 range from the likes of Graham Slee, Creek, and the like. Among other things it has an extremely accurate RIAA equalization curve. Mine was bought new in 1986 and still meets spec. too, which is rather remarkable. It really sings with a good MM cartridge like a Shure V15, Stanton 681 or 881, Ortofon 2M Bronze or Black, or Goldring 1042. |
