Best Phono You've Heard Under $2200


Tube or SS, doesn't matter. Just want to know the best you've heard/owned.

gochurchgo

Audio Research PH7

Excellent ARC sound that can be had for under $2000

I have climbed the ARC Phono ladder to the REF Phono 2SE. The PH7 and PH8 are both great values.

I had a Rogue Ares Magnum for a short time and no disrespect, but it could not compete.  

For what it's worth, I just swapped out my Manley Chinook SE with Telefunken nos tubes for a used Zesto Andros PS1 phono preamp with JJ gold pin tubes at around $2,000 and my experience is that the Zesto has a wider Soundstage with a little more depth and detail overall. While built around 2014, it is still a great phono and has received amazing reviews. List price back then was around $4,000. Hope this helps and surprised the Audiogon community doesn't consider this a great phono or hasn't really discussed its merits.

I love my Wright Sound 200 wpc that I acquired used few years ago. With good tubes it's super quiet and smooth, and there's dual mono adjustable gain up to 66db. Works great with my HO Grado Sonata. 
 

The downside is that inputs and outputs are on opposite sides of the box, so it's got science lab vibes on my cabinet. 
 

I want to try the tube phono stage from Aric Audio. Just under $2k. Similar design, it seems, just looks like a little 'more'. 

Black Cube $600.  Completely hacked.  Balanced inputs, Iron shielding, daughter board op amps.  Powered from my Jeff Rowland preamp, preceeded by PS audio regenerator.   S/N with cartridge -100 dB.  Flat to 100 kHz+.