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Phono Preamps with "balls" ?

taking the cue from another thread about speakers with "balls" - what are some phono preamps that you have found to be the most powerful, dynamic and yet still sound clean.  
i turn on my digital sources and they are often much more robust sounding and would like to know if there are phono preamps that can deliver.  thanks in advance  
avanti1960
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,859 posts
 
@jcarr Apparently raul missed that comment about the MAT-12...
ptss
1,964 posts
 
I’d suggest Spectral; even though that means buying a used DMC20 preamp with the optional phono stage. 
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rauliruegas
13,101 posts
 
Dear @atmasphere : No, I don't missed but I was posting to him. I know very well the MAT discrete bipolar design. It could be a good alternative in your designs instead the out of production devices you were using.
R.
invictus005
597 posts
 
But what JFETs should we use? Fake Chinese junk Toshibas from eBay? Or the mostly crap LS? I've just about had it with those guys. Last batch I ordered directly from them of LSK389Cs, 50% didn't meet spec. 

Sure, some of us have NOS parts. But this JFET era is coming to an end.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,859 posts
 
It could be a good alternative in your designs instead the out of production devices you were using.
We don't use any out of production devices. We have an internal design rule called the 20-year rule that prevents us from doing something like that.

The MAT12 is an excellent device; the gain and noise aspects are attractive. The distortion is not; we get lower distortion using a 12AT7.
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