Analog Upgrade - Where to start?

Dear friends: As I posted I respect all of you  Now all those gentlemans that posted to change the phono stage and if you don't mind I would like to ask :

why? where are your facts/objectiove reasons against the OP phono stage compared to any of the unit you own? where are the advantages of what you propose to the OP?



Btw and in the other side: the phono stage as important as it's unfortunately it's not the source in an analog rig but the cartridge. The MUSIC/sound is generated through the cartridge tracking abilities and its motor/engine quality design.
What we expect to listen through that cartridge is what that cartridge can pick-up or not, the phono stage can enhance nothing about the best that can make a phono stage is that that cartridge signal suffers the less distortions/noises ( everykind of it ) and the lower degradation .

Which of the phono stages you own achieves that in better way than the OP phono stage ?

Do you thing that the price tag ( 2.5K ) of the OP is so low that can't outperform phono stages in the 20K+ prices?  Well it can do it.

R.

Dear @edgewear @chilli42 : I own or owned or listen in my system all the vintage cartridges and new ones you named including the 9Rex and yes are good performers and there are reasons about and the main reason is because cartridge designs did not changes over the last 40+ years. Main changes are on build materials used for today designs and other 2-3 " designers details "

I own very old Ortofon cartridges ranging from MC-10 or the MC2000 and today ones and certainly exist differences for the better in today designs and I’m not trying to diminish the MC2000 that’s really good.

I own the XV-1s and the 13D and Ilistened the 1t ( the OP model. I listened the original not a SS refurbished like the OP sample. ).
The 13 D ( I own the wood version. ) is very good but the XV-1s detail retriaval is better and that puts in our ears the sensation of more dynamics along that the 1s handled better the high frequency range. The 1t is a little less " dynamic " than the is but it’s a very good performer too.

Now, what we can or what we can’t listen in a cartridge quality level performance depends mainly in the room/system resolution levels.

I know that you know this: if any one of us want to have a different " natural color " of the MUSIC we are reproducing then where do you have to go? when each cartridge has it’s own " natural color " and sometimes differences for the better are or could be significant.

I know for sure that the first step for the OP is in his cartridge’s system.

Now, I like a lot the Colibri by Vdh specially its lower output designs and if you listen in your system this kind of Colibri design against not only the good vintage performers but against any other today/vintage designs you will be surprised of how many differences exist in between but if we take a ZYX or other manufacturer as the new Lyra Lamda series we can find something like that.

You own the Anna and the A95 and each one has its own " signature " its own " natural color ".

We don’t want a phono stages be with its own " natural color " but to be acurated and neutral to leave pass the cartridge signal " intact ". The OP unit is way neutral and accurate it does not matters its price tag.

That’s my opinion and some of the reasons of my opinion.

Other advantage of the Stellar is not only that’s a fully discrete, very low noise, high overloadin/headroom, pure class A ", high gain active, hand selected parts design but that is a SS design because for a phono stage , like it or not, the rigth way to do it is through SS electronics not tubes and I don’t want to open any " new door/window " about tubes because is not the issue in this thread.

R.

Whilst I haven't heard the PS Audio, I can comment upon what I have. If you want dynamics and transparency - a sort of front row seat consider a TOM Evans phono stage - i have auditioned and heard various Groove phono stages and Toms designs are all dynamic front row perspective. I would also highly recommend that you audition a Whest - very powerful, dynamic, silent, extraordinary imaging and authoritative. The problem with both stages are that they do not have alternative EQ curves - that's a problem if you have old records. IMHO I would get the best RIAA i can, then a cheap (relatively) phono stagee with other eq curves such as a Graham Slee

Think about your speakers after all. 
And about basic room treatment if possible.

+1 @mikelavigne

it’s hard to specifically recommend a phono pre without knowing the rest of your system and musical tastes. 

without knowing the rest of the system one cannot judge if it’s at the same level as your front end to avoid sonic bottlenecks.  It would also be helpful what kind of sound one is looking for: midrange warmth, linearity, fool you realism, slam, etc so we can make more informed suggestions 

+1 @mikelavigne

so i’ll just throw out the van den Hul Grail as a good very high performance phono that won’t break the bank and fits your stated goals. it plays with the big boys.

While trying to achieve the best sound the cheapest way possible without sacrificing sound quality I picked up a used VDH Grail SB.  Fremer August 2018 “…exceptionally fine-sounding, startlingly transparent, liquid yer gritty (when called for), super-quiet…the Grail is a sleeper…”