Are You Happy With Your Phono Preamp?


I have been gradually upgrading my analogue components.  Which presently consist of: SME 20/2 turntable (old but good), Kuzma 4Point Tonearm, Soundsmith Hyperion (MI) cartridge (love this), Dynavector (MC) DRT XV1, PS Audio Stellar Phono Preamp (connected to ARC Ref 6, Pass Labs 160.8, Avantgarde Uno).  I have to say that I am very happy with the analogue sound from this system.  That said, high end audio being what it is I can’t help wondering if I am leaving some better sound on the table with the PS Audio phono preamp … though I know I should not judge by price alone.  I have been looking alternative phono stages:  the VTL 6.5i, ARC Reference 3SE, Boulder 508, Pass XP17 … this price range.  Those who are long experienced analogue lovers … do you think I am leaving any sound quality on the table by sticking with the PS Audio phono stage? Do you believe that I would see a meaningful change in sound quality by moving to a phono stage in the price range I have been looking at?

chilli42

@skucie 

Similar experience to me. For me it was a ARC PH3SE to a ARC PH8 and then to a ARC REF 3… each move was amazing… as in how can this make such a big difference. 
 

I am currently listening to Miles on my system… amazing.

I have a great phono stage (which you've probably never heard of)...yet it's out of the system in favor of what's in my Intergrated. Maybe not QUITE as good, but one less piece of clutter.

@cleeds 

It isn't FULLY balanced.  Whilst XLRs are an option for the output, the input is phono plugs only with two wires only.  There is no separate earth.  The earth must run on one or other of the two signal wires.

When I say fully balanced I don't mean artificially balanced using differential circuits.

clearthinker

It isn’t FULLY balanced. Whilst XLRs are an option for the output, the input is phono plugs only with two wires only. There is no separate earth. The earth must run on one or other of the two signal wires.

You are completely mistaken. The ARC Ref preamps are fully balanced/floating and the ground floats separately from the signal itself, even on the Ref Phono units that use RCA inputs. (The line stages offer RCA and XLR connections on each input.)

When I say fully balanced I don’t mean artificially balanced using differential circuits

It isn’t clear what you mean by "artificially balanced." How would you design a balanced preamp without differential circuits? Transformer coupling? That’s what many would consider to be "artificially balanced," @clearthinker.

Phono upgrades have been my favorite. Turntable isolation, phonostage and cartridge alignment have been my favorite upgrades. I landed on an Allnic H-3000 and it will probably be my last unless I get the chance to try Ypsilon.