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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
secretguy
1,866 posts
 

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.

clearthinker's avatar
clearthinker
1,582 posts
 

@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.

cleeds
6,294 posts
 

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.

j-wall's avatar
j-wall
387 posts
 

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. 

clearthinker's avatar
clearthinker
1,582 posts
 

@cleeds 

Thank you.

But I still cannot see how it can be fully balanced if it has only phonos for inputs.  If phonos can be balanced, why does it need XLRs for outputs?  And why do ARC included XLRs in and out on the Ref pre-amps?  And on earlier phono amps like the PH2 that I used with pleasure for 20 years.

All fully balanced phono amps offer XLRs for both inputs and outputs.  And, as you say, the ARC Ref preamps (I use a Ref 6 and have favoured ARC preamps in the past) include XLRs for input and output that I use as I want to run fully balanced throughout.

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