What's A Good Upgrade From A Manley Steelhead?

@drbond 

Good point. This is particularly important at lower levels of investment… my rule is double the cost or it is likely a sideways step. So, we agree.
 

However, at this level, one must assume a more discerning pallet and a flavor change would be a big change. Here I would consider a Audio Research, Conrad Johnson, and a couple other top tier. 

I am totally with Raul on this; spending more money, even 2X more money, is in no way a guarantee of a performance upgrade.  A difference, yes, but an improvement?  Not at all necessarily.  Since we are all fallible and human, once we've paid a lot more money and we do hear a "difference", we are very prone to interpret that difference as an upgrade.

I like to see what's inside the chassis, and I know what to look for.  In my experience, more $$$ doesn't even guarantee more expensive parts, let alone better design and implementation.

I used to have same phono stage with similar vinyl set up. I replaced it with the VTL TP 6.5. 

Have not heard all, but only thing I have heard better than the VtL is the Boulder 2018.

@mulveling Great information, thanks. I guess the Steelhead retrieves detail sufficiently, does most things very well, but doesn't imbue the sound with the typical midrange bloom and presence that I expect from tube gear. It's a little bit solid-state sounding, as others have alluded to here and elsewhere. @whart above describes it as 'a slight electronic glaze', which I think is a fair assessment, with emphasis on 'slight'. It hasn't responded particularly well to tube-rolling, the tubes I've tried haven't really tilted it away from neutrality to something with a bit more bloom.

With this in mind, I've been reluctant to try an ARC phono as my experience with their preamps and power amps over the years has left me with the impression that their gear is voiced a little on the lean side, a little neutral perhaps. Maybe I need to reassess. 

Cheers

Rooze

Dear @ghdprentice : " my rule is double the cost or it is likely a sideways step. "

Well, it looks as you really don’t read yet the link of the PS Audio Stellar phono stage that comes with a  low price tag of 2.5k and using Ortofon Diamond and Lyra Atlas, SAT tonearm, Continnum TT , Mr. Fremer compares it to over 20 times price tag with phono stages like Dartzeel and the same CH that drbond own which who you agree, go figure.

Fremer " insert " the Stellar in a cost no object room/system and performed at that levels. Of course that if you " insert " the Stellar in a mid-fi system it does not converts the system in a cost no object.

Your rule? fine with me.

R.