Solid State Phono Stages

Noise in the older ARC phono stages is almost entirely tube dependent. You really have to get now noise tubes then they are as quiet as a tube stage can get. They are also hybrid with a FET front end. 

The quietest phono stage made by a longshot is the Channel D Seta L20. It can be run either current or voltage mode. It is also something like $60,000 and out of my price range. But, Channel D's Seta L Plus is the second quietest phono stage made and can also be run either current or voltage mode. It has a battery power supply and an extremely accurate RIAA circuit. It also has a flat output if you care to try digital RIAA correction. At about $10,000 it is manageable. I find it intriguing enough to buy it sight unheard. Both Stereophile and Absolute Sound raved about it's little brother, the Lino C. 

@lewm, Schroder will only use captive cables. He will supply them RCA or XLR. It is a breeze to swap connectors, maybe 20 minutes with a soldering iron. Sota will be displaying their Nova and Cosmos tables with Schroder arms now. I wonder whose fault that was. Anyway, you know how I feel about unnecessary contacts in the way of a phonograph cartridge signal. 

@pindac it's amazing what system synergy can do. it's right there with turntable set-up, speaker positioning etc. it's valuable to have a written, concrete example like you shared. it's also good to be surprised. 😁

Dear @mijostyn : It’s true that the SETA L20 MK2 is an excellent phono stage but as nothing in audio is not perfect.

The unit I have in my system outperform it in some specs as the RIAA eq. measurements and the noise level of my unit is almost " there " as its frequency range and several other specs.

You can go to the Channel D site and its RIAA is not so accurated as should be for a unit of that caliber. Look there its " critical " performance from 50hz and down and compare against what I own:

https://get.google.com/albumarchive/104284617601331669309/album/AF1QipMFuJ0YVzL64lrK46jDWyUx7h0SGhNyKWFEifag/AF1QipOKpGytlEsRi_miCPtIm-J7b45dCmz3bGV_Yb2f?authKey=CKaK_bnM-of_9AE

Of course that specs tell you many things but can’t explain perfectly what you are listening. I can tell you that my unit performs at very high quality levels. In the other side I never had the opportunity to listen the L20 MK2 that I’m sure is ( again ) excellent but overall the phonolinepreamp I own could compete with.

R.

As with any audio item almost always exist a " but " and in your unit is that’s weird that the RIAA deviation ( that’s the main critical characteristic along gain for a phono stage. ) has a swing of 0.4db !

 

rather silly to get excited about that small of a deviation. No , it is really, really silly. All else equal, flatter is of course better, but chasing ideal measurements is a fools game. You are lucky if you don’t have 10dB swings in response at the listening position due to speaker-room interactions. I couldn’t care less about 0.4 dB. It is certainly NOT the "main critical characteristic.. "

How does it sound? That is all that matters

Dear @herman : Rather silly? is a fools game ? could be for you that have different MUSIC/audio targets than me.

" It is certainly NOT the "main critical characteristic.. "

Statement totally false for say the least. Look, the phono stage exist because the cartridge signal NEEDS the INVERSE RIAA EQ.

If the cartridge signal did not needs it then the phono stage was not not a necessity because with a line stage preamp is more than enough. A linepreamp with a selector for: CD,MM,MC and the like. No inverse RIAA eq. heavy signal degradation ! ! !

Can you imagine the huge improvement in what all of us should listen it with out?

R.