What is the best phono preamp you have heard?

Earthpulse - This is a discussion on phono stages not line stages. "No preamp at all" is not applicable here.

my bad, Jafox.

The Klyne I mentioned will have to do.

Dear friends: +++++ " These private built designs offer opportunities for no-compromise componentry and fanatically careful circuit layouts at a relatively affordable cost. When a design goes commercial then compromises must occur and/or the price must go through the roof. Private builders making one unit at a time can indulge in luxuries that would be impractical for a commercial operation. " +++++

This Doug post is a very interesting one, not only because I have self design: Phonolinepreamp, but because like Doug say it the design is a no-compromise one. In our ( José and I ) Phonolinepreamp we don't do any compromises: not only in the design it self, research, testing, parts, layout, etc, but more important we don't do any compromise on the quality sound reproduction against the LIVE MUSIC. Our design is not a comercial-thinking or price-minded design but a music-lover design and this subject makes a great diference against the comercial designs, this is a very important and critical plus for all of you.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Rapogee: Other than our self design: Vendetta Research and FM Acoustics.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Can't say, because I've heard precious few in my own system. But, I have "heard" (i.e., they were in systems that I heard playing) the Connoisseur, the top-of-the-line Boulder, an Audionote (uk) M-10, and a Kondo rig (I think M-77 with stepup). The best I've heard in my own system, which I plan on purchasing, is the VivA Fono (an Italian tube-based phono stage with input transformers). It worked well for me with my Lyra Titan once I experimented with a demonstration model by removing loading resistors and changing the type of 12AX7 tubes it utilizes (it was originally optimized for a Transfiguration Orpheus).