I like this guy's reviews. I'd be tempted to try the Schiit Mani at $129 from Amazon and return it if not impressed.
https://youtu.be/TaARB28ZHkw
https://youtu.be/TaARB28ZHkw
Does my setup need a phono stage?
I like this guy's reviews. I'd be tempted to try the Schiit Mani at $129 from Amazon and return it if not impressed. https://youtu.be/TaARB28ZHkw |
Your Marantz is designed for home theater, and while including a phono stage is a nice feature, it's probably an afterthought and not very high quality. I owned an AV8801 and currently have an AV7704 and must admit that I've never even bothered to try the phono section in either. They might be better than I think, but I doubt it. You have a nice turntable and cartridge, nice enough that you should be able to extract more from it by adding a phono stage. There are a lot of nice choices within your budget. The Parks Audio Puffin is really nice for $400. I've heard good things about the Black Cube also, but have not heard one. Another favorite of mine in your price range is the Musical Surroundings Nova Phonomena. A quick search showed a used one currently for sale at a reasonable price. Both the Puffin and Phonomena have a ton of gain settings and both will also work with MC carts if you decide to get one in the future. At the end of the day, your Marantz may be a weak link in your audio enjoyment. Consider an upgrade to a separate preamp at some point, something with home theater bypass that will allow you to use the preamp for 2 channel listening and the Marantz for home theater using the same speakers and amp. |
"need" a phono stage? yes, an outboard unit will make noticeable improvement but, all relative to the entire setup. I would consider a used piece. For your amount,plenty of choices. That amount is equal to half the retail of a quite good unit. I would negotiate with a seller for even less. The suggestion of the Schiit Mani is solid. It likely would be the best $129 spent. I had one while waiting for my proper phono amp was being repaired. |