What's A Good Upgrade From A Manley Steelhead?

@rooze 

While you might not realize it, the Steelehad is definitely "tubey" in sound, compared a neutral.  I had a Steelhead for 15 years, and really enjoyed it.  It's a great phono stage.  As you mention, perhaps, you should tube roll:  the 5687 and the 6922 both make a sonic difference.  But you'll probably need to spend $1,000 in 6922 to get a real improvement (early 1960's Siemens CCa tubes).  The currrent based phono stages are much more neutral and precise sonically, so don't go that route if you're looking for more bloom.  Regardless, enjoy your listening.  

@rauliruegas I agree, I'm also skeptical of the 2x rule (which isn't a rule, I guess...it's just a loose guideline). The 2x doesn't really take into account the used marketplaces and how different gear retains its value over time, nor how equipment is sold in the first instance, i.e factory direct or through an importer-distributor-dealer model. Nor does it take into account the rare occasion when a low-cost item appears to knock the spots off gear costing way, way more - perhaps as with the PS Audio Stellar Phono that you kindly linked to.

I just read Mr. Fremer's review of the PS Audio kit that you posted. It reminded me a little of reviews I've read of the iFi iPhono3 Black Label, which I tinkered with a year or so ago and wrote about on my blog. That's a fantastic little box that punches way beyond its price of a measly $1000 or so.

It boils down to how much extra we're willing to pay for that last couple percent of performance. Some of Fremer's comments about the PS Audio kit suggested it might lack a little low-end oomph and authority. That could be enough for some folks to pony up the extra cash for something 3 or 4 times more expensive, or even more.

I don't have any answers here, other than cite the well-worn idiom: to each his own.

Thanks for posting the link to the review.

Cheers

@drbond Thanks for the input. I didn't spend close to $1000 on different tubes. Perhaps that's something I should invest more into before I give up on the Manley.

As an aside, I had both the Zesto Andros 1.2 and a Manley Chinook here before I bought the Steelhead. The Chinook was what I would unreservedly refer to as 'tubey'. The Zesto was far more neutral and a little more clinical, but more dynamic than the Chinook. The Steelhead captured the strengths of both and combined them. So yes, it has some evidence of tubeyness in its presentation, I'm just looking for a tad more, without losing the dynamic capability and all its other virtues. I'll have a look around for the early 1960's Siemens CCa tubes, as you've suggested.

Cheers

Rooze

It has been brought to my attention that I mis-spoke in my post and am unable to edit my post. The Allnic H-5500 was bested by the Allnic H-3000 that I had purchased. The H-6500 is a Preamp and not a Phonostage. 

In describing the H-6500 as a "preamp", I presume you mean either that it is a full function preamplifier with a built in phono section or that it is a linestage, with no phono section. (You must be young; in the good old days there were very few standalone phono stages, and the word "preamplifier" assumed a linestage with built in phono stage.)  If the H-6500 to which you refer is a linestage (only), then from what I know of Allnic nomenclature, wouldn't it be called "L-6500"? Since Allnic do not currently market a full function preamplifier, that would seem to be the case.  On their website, I do see L-6500 but not any H-6500.  The H-5500 appears to be the current latest revision of the H-1201 and H-1202.  I ask because somewhere else I was led into this same quandary regarding the possible existence of an H-6500 phono stage.

Although I am not an ardent admirer of tube rolling as a way of upgrading performance, I do use Siemens CCa's in my Steelhead.  Do I think they made a big difference? No, but they are "nice".