Talk to Aric @aricaudio
Best Phono Stage
Hi all,
I need some advise on a really good sounding phono stage to go with MC turntable set up in the $5k or so bracket. I am completely new to vinyl and realise there a lot here in terms of arm/cart matching MC,MM and I think moving iron but if you could point me in the direction of some good sounding units I can investigate compatibility etc. I don’t own a table or cart yet. I was looking at the Zesto Audio 1.2.
My goal is a liquid engaging sound with deep tight bass and air and separation on top.
Thanks in advance.
Sean
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- 80 posts total
@chayro nailed it, IMO. Patience is your friend here. It's hard to do, but it pays big dividends. Right now I'm tuning my DIY tonearm, and desperately want to put a big expensive cartridge on it - just to see what it can do. But I'm holding back until I sort out all the quirks. So I understand your impatience. But consider - until you live with something you don't really know what you like; that only comes after you realize that you've been listening for 5 hours and still want more. Not the piece of candy that dazzles you for 20 minutes in the showroom. Patience, I say, and only get serious on your next attempt. |
@lance23 I think you are going about this backwards to a degree. What is your total budget? Cart, table, tonearm, associated cables, etc? If you buy a 5k pre and a Rega P1 it’s kinda silly. That’s an extreme example. You really should investigate a table, arm and cart then go from there. There are so many pre options, SS, tubed, SUT. All have advantages and disadvantages. Some depend on your overall setup. I believe your order of operation should be table, arm, cart, pre, cabling. |
- 80 posts total