Phono Stage upgrade to complement Dohmann Helix One Mk 2

@lewm 

I can contact Dave Slagle myself, but thanks for the offer.  I'll let you know what I hear from him.  Oddly, my Manley Steelhead power supply unit just started buzzing last week (as if it knew that I was looking to replace it, or perhaps I knew that it was going to start acting up), so I'm sending in the PSU to Manley for repair, so it might be a perfect time to send the head unit to Mr Slagle for an upgrade!

Dear @lewm  " Manley used second rate capacitors as output coupling capacitors in the Steelhead, .."

I can see in the circuit boards MIT and Wima caps. Which are the ones second rate you are talking about?

"" which sometimes tends to make us forget that all of these devices are made of pretty much the same components: Wires, resistors, capacitors, etc. ..... Good circuit design is not the exclusive province of the ultra high priced segment. "

Do you really think in that way?  because if you did then you are totally wrong.

@drbond  your manley is a " so so " hybrid " design ( Jfet ) and nothing more. Even lewm choosed " mainly " ( that's what he posted in the thread. )because accepts more than one cartridge.

This is what MF that had the Manley as his reference phono stage standard posted a little latter on:

" With the ASR Basis Exclusive on Cisco's upcoming reissue of Ian and Sylvia's stunning Northern Journey (Vanguard/Cisco VSD 79154), the guitars, mandolin, and autoharp crackled with sparkling, transient-snapping excitement yet with plenty of body, while Ian's and Sylvia's voices had a you-are-there clarity and presence. Image definition was precise, three-dimensional, and well focused, while Russ Savakus' bass was taut, with plenty of wood behind the string plucks.

Switching back to my reference Manley Steelhead phono preamp presented a completely different take on the same music: a more mellow overall balance, softer transients, and greater emphasis on midbass warmth. This made for a smoother balance that was easier to listen to yet still had plenty of detail—but it couldn't match the ASR's sheer excitement, or its ability to resolve the lowest-level detail in stark relief, all without sounding bright, etched, or hyper-detailed.  .

I compared the Steelhead and the ASR with the classic Mercury Living Presence LP of Aaron Copland's Rodeo, El Salón México, and Danzón Cubano, recorded in 1957 (!) by Antal Dorati and the London Symphony (SR90172). I found the ASR's overall presentation in fully balanced mode airier, more transparent, deeper, wider, and more dynamic overall. The brass had a lifelike, piercing, yet plush realism that the more softly sprung Steelhead couldn't equal, and there was no match in the reproduction of the thwack of the timpani, which had far greater impact through the ASR.

It was an impressive presentation of a recording that, like many Mercurys, can sound thin and ungrounded. ""

Anyway, That ASR is out of production an was a SS design.

R.

@rauliruegas

Thanks for sharing your research on the Manley Steelhead. It does seem that most people are preferring the SS phono stages these days. . .

@lewm

I heard back from David Slagle, and he said that he’s "not familiar with the Steelhead, so I’m not sure how much help I could be in improving it"

If you are interested, I can talk to him and explain the very simple upgrade I did myself.  I can describe the output circuit to him as well.  You can PM me.

@tablejockey

@no_regrets

Yes, I have an audiophile friend who has had the Wave Kinetics Deluxe Reference 5.1 phono stage for years, and he enjoys it; he says it’s much quieter than an Allnic phono stage, but that he still prefers the newer SS phono stages. . .
Thanks for your recommendation.

@lewm 

Thanks.  I'll DM you this weekend, although Mr Slagle didn't sound too excited about doing anything with the Steelhead, as I'd contacted him 4-6 months ago about an EM/IA LR phono corrector. . .