Analog Upgrade - Where to start?

@rauliruegas I agree that every cartridge has its own signature and 'natural color'. That is exactly why it makes sense to have more than one, because no single cartridge can do everything right. There is no 'best' in this game. And I will stand by my remark that in this sense today's 'best' cartridges are not generically 'better' than the 'best' of yesterday.

Changing cartridges has become one of the more enjoyable aspects of my audio life, but it is also good to have a benchmark, a reference you can return to in order to reset your ears. For me that's the Van den Hul Colibri XPW Blackwood, a low output version with platinum coil wires (no longer in production). This does many things better than most, but not everything.

Obviously this is all very much system dependent, so it makes sense to select a phono amp that is as 'neutral' as possible and adds as little of a signature or 'natural color' of its own. I don't know if the Stellar meets up to this, but I agree SS is probably 'best' in handling the extremily low voltage levels generated by MC's.

The rest of the OP's system is also very high level: the speakers are known for their dynamic capabilities, solid class A power amp and a preamp that provides the 'natural color' of tubes which many people value. To be honest I have my reservations about the Stellar's capability to keep up with this quality level. It may be the overachiever some people claim it to be, but that's still no guarantee it is a great match for the ARC pre and Pass power, which are often used together and seem to work very well as a team. So your first priority should be to make sure that the phono amp has good synergy with these, before you start messing around with the 'natural color' of top dollar MC's.

Dear @edgewear : In an analog audio system transducers have the dominant /leader roles for achieve a top quality performance levels and this means: cartridges and speakers.

. Any change, no matters what, in those transducers makes always a difference as in no other system link.
Obviously that all other room/system links are important too but transducers are at the very top of the list.

This is de Vdh model you mentioned but with gold coils and it’s in the low output design ( I like it at around 0.24mv but I think Vdh already choosed for higher output designs. ) and " new " for a very good price and with the advantage that after 300 hours of cartridge playing Vdh will make a check up and fine tune its cartridges and when return to you comes performing better than ever:

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisaajeb-van-den-hul-colibri-xgw-black-wood-cartridges

If I was @chilli42 and before touch the phono stage I buy that Vdh or other top today cartridge and after the cartridge already broken/sttled up l make the fine tunning and listen to it, I have no doubt that @chilli42 will has differences for the better " even " with the Stellar that all of you diminished because its humble price tag and that does not comes with a name as Boulder, Dartzeel or CH ( we are accustomed to look for the " big " names where no one of them is perfect, all with trade-offs. ) but this does not matters what it matters is its design that’s an excellent one.

Even one reviewer compared against the CH that has a price tag of 50+K where the Stellar ( acording the reviewer. ) makes a good work and something unexpected when the Stellar was under in deep measurements things are that it measures better than the manufacturer specs and this is the very first time that I read something like that because normally all electronics goes a little down of specs in the measurements proccess.

In reality the " ball " is in the OP field and if he decide to go for the phono stage good because that it’s a personal choose where not you, me or any one else can argue against it.

I respect all opinions but opinions with out true/objective reasons/facts just means almost nothing to help any one. Why to change the Stellar? what's wrong with/down there?

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

@rauliruegas as much as I love my Colibri, it’s a temperamental bird and its performance is more system dependant than most other cartridges. I’ve heard four different ones (different coil and body materials) in quick succession in the same system and they all sounded (very) different. If the rest of the system is not well balanced and within the ’neutral’ zone, the outcome has every chance of being highly unpredictable.

The ’unanswered question’ in this discussion is if the OP had the same issue before acquiring the Stellar, which must have been very recently. What phono amp did he use before, what made him decide to change and was it an improvement?

Let me try to put it differently: the best new and vintage MC’s all more or less play in the same ballpark, with different strenghts and flavours. But a change in phono amp several years ago elevated the performance plateau completely, making all cartridges sound much better. Some were transformed almost beyond recognition.

To the OP I would say: changing the cartridge to one of the top MC’s will surely change the sound and most likely for the better, just don’t underestimate the impact of the phono amp.

The OP has now informed on the other Ancillaries used on the System.
The Silent Source Interconnects and Audioquest Power Cables might be having an impact on the Sound Quality within the Vinyl Chain.
As they are not being identified with by any of the follow up Posts, it is difficult to determine how they are being rated when used within another System. 
These Cable Brands are looking to be carrying a Fairly High asking price.
The Interconnects appear to be a design based on Cryo Treated Solid Core Silver Wire.
The Construction of the Silver Wire is not identified.
 
The Power Cables are referring to a Grain Structure within a Wire but does not identify the Construction Method of the Wire.

I would assume if the Cables I have looked into are the same as the Ones in use with the OP, it will be a difficult option for them to consider an alternative.

To help put my post into context, I have for a long period used a
OCC Pure Silver Wire 5 Pin DIN Phono Cable.

I heard this owned cable in a Comparison Demonstrations along with other 5 Pin DIN Phono Cables that were a Selection of Cables on Trial by the owner of the SME 20/2 turntable and the SME Series V Tonearm, Transifiguration ?? MC. The Selection of Cables added up to Multiple Thousands of £££££'s.
With the Most expensive Individual Phono Cable approaching the + side of £1500.
My Cable was not the Worst on this Day, nor did I hear anything to encourage a Change, so I maintained my interest in it.

Just recently after a change of Phono Cable to a Modern Wire Design.
The OCC Silver Phono Cable was superseded.
        

Dear @edgewear : Certainly I agree in almost all your post and I clarify again that every single link in the system chain is important and speaking of analog the phono stage is the first critical system link after the source/cartridge.

Look, you can read several reviews ( all positive and different systems. ) in the net where you can read that the stellar was mated with top cartridges as Transfiguration Proteus, Anna diamond, Lyra Atlas and even the venerable DL 103.

In one of that reviews Fremer started with this:

""  to hear how a $2500 phono preamp would perform when driven by a $200,000 front end, itself driving a bigger rig than would most likely be used by most Stellar purchasers.  ""

Continuum Caliburn TT and SAT tonearm and compared against 3 other " monsters "/$$$ big names phono stages where he does not noted any problem when the Stellar was connected to line preamps. He used too the VPI HW-40 TT and the Airforce One Premium Not kidding here.

Read this:

""  The midrange on this phono preamp is as open, uncongested, transparent, and revealing as that of any phono preamp I've heard at any price.  ""

Fremer is very enthusiast with the big names but not with items coming from very humble manufacturers as PS Audio.

He continue:


""  How's that for a "pull quote"? But it's true, not hyperbole, and I stand by it. In the midrange department, the Stellar Phono is the darTZeel of phono preamplifiers. Considering the price differential, that's saying a lot! ""

and followed with something that was a big surprise for him and for any one:

""  Because of its openness, transparency, and freedom from midband congestion, the Stellar did tell me some things I didn't already know, on many recordings. Small, subtle-though-significant things that surprised me.""

I know that synergy in between link system chain is way important but here the Stellar is an accurated and " neutral " phono stage with all characteristics to worry if makes synergy with the Reference 6 or any other line stage. If exist no synergy then change your line stage not the Stellar .

Btw, yes the Colibri is exactly as you said: temperamental and demands to be mated with first rate items in the audio chain and when you have this as the OP it's only dependent of the Colibri owner skills to make the precise cartridge set up and alignment.

@chilli42 does not mentioned that he has two REL subwoofers in his system.


R.