@blisshifi Certainly. Many reviews point to this unit performing very well with tube rolling. I will keep an eye out for the 6C45s. Are there any other alternatives with better availability?
I'll catch up on the thread sent about tube rolling with the PH 9.0 ...
3k Phono preamp upgrade options (JC3+, XP-17, etc)
Hi everyone,
I’m looking to upgrade my phono preamp in my sytem and am fairly decided on going the solid state route. The two options I’m most interested in are the Parasound JC3+ and Pass XP-17. I’m curious if anyone has compared these two together, and can describe how these units differ. Here is my system:
Lyra Delos (0.6 mv) -> (new phono here) -> Hegel h120 -> Dynaudio Heritage Specials.
I’m sure both phono preamps are great units, but I’m looking for something that will pair nicely with my Dynaudios. The Hegel is here for now, but I see myself upgrading it eventually, so compatability in that regard isn’t as important.
If you think there is a tube option that will work well with my sytem (Sadly Herron isn't in production, so that's a no go) feel free to recommend, but I’m mostly interested in SS for now.
- ...
- 48 posts total
@cleeds , and they cost a whale of a lot more than a JC3+. I have not been in any recent ARC or Mac stuff but the last time I looked they were still using through hole construction. Both are now a cut below the finest brands such as Boulder and Constellation (also US companies) but that is "Luxury" HiFi and IMHO over the top. To my own way of thinking if I were financially strapped the JC3+ is a unit I could buy. If money were no object there is not a thing any of the above mentioned companies make that interests me. @lewm , why do you always have to be so picky? John Curl was designing high end HiFi gear before anyone else had even thought of it. The early Mark Levinson gear was so far superior to anything else present in the day it was astonishing. So what if he has a clinker or two to his name. I had a Nelson Pass Preamp (Threshold) that was a better radio than most tuners. |
@riskymilk No, there are not really any other options with a lot of availability aside from the Sovtek that ship with the unit. Electro Harmonix also makes one, but that too is hard to find and not as good as the Reflektor. Keep in mind that it is very quiet considering it is a tube unit. I believe with great tubes the unit is at ~75-85db SNR. But it is still not as quiet as some of the ultra-high end SS stages which approach 100db SNR. That said, most people are not as anal since record groove noise is about 70db SNR. |
- 48 posts total