I need help regarding tube phono preamplifiers


To the Audiogon community. I am currently considering one of three possible all tube phono preamps to incorporate in my two channel system. The three phono stages are 1.Aesthetix Rhea phono preamp 2.Zesto Andros Deluxe II phono stage and 3. Vac Renaissance phono preamp. I will incorporate the stand alone phono preamp into my McIntosh C48 preamp and utilize a Clearaudio Performance DC turntable with a Clearaudio Universal tonearm and Kiseki Purple Heart phono cartridge. If anyone has experience to help me compare the differences between these phono stages I would greatly appreciate the input. Thanks.

andyhifiman

I prefer phonostages with balanced output - typically has a lower noise floor. The Aesthetix seems to have the highest gain of 75 dB which gives you flexibility to try a wider range of low output mc cartridges.  

If you are committed to going with a tube unit I would urge you to focus your attention on noise and reliability. A big reason the Herron is so well loved is because it is insanely quiet and bulletproof. See what you can find out among users of the units you are considering. 

"We here have heard that Herron and DecWare are way better."

fuzztone in for comedy relief in these troubled times. Left out is Tekton Moabs will be the cherry on top.

All 3 are good at what they do. You would need all 3 in your setup for the "Goldilocks" decision on what to keep. I've demoed a Zesto  in it's earlier incarnation-very nice.

If you're open to other options, this listing could be a good deal since used is always negotiable. Made in USA and tube rectified like the Aesthetix