Recommendation for phono stage


I would appreciate some advice on a good phonostage as I have a well tempered turntable with an Ortofon cadenza black cartridge. some additional comments on adjusting load impedance as I understand that is important. Budget is $5000 

lstringfellow

I have had several phono stages over the years and I’ve been very happy with the Modwright PH9.0XT. I purchased the unit new as a 9.0X and later upgraded the power supply to Tube Rectified. Easy “on the fly” adjustability on front faceplate. It’s around $5,500 new, but you can find them used at a discount from time to time. ModWright support is outstanding, which is why I decided to purchase their KWA150SE amplifier as well. Great people.

Teac PE-505, comes in silver and beautiful black! 

Professional grade phono pre, same tech as more expensive Esoteric offers! 

Allnic is also worth considering if you want tube phono. It's a serious company.

 

Following the lead of @slaw, the two Herron phono stages (no longer in production) can be had for not that much dough. Their owners love ’em, so you’ll have to be patient waiting for one to come up for sale. Mine isn’t.smiley

The VTPH-1 came in two versions, one for moving magnet only (VTPH-1mm), the other (VTPH-1mc) for moving coils. The VTPH-2 came with inputs for both types.