Manly Steelhead - any downside??

Bob, I have never found loading at 47k to reduce bass, but you are correct you do get more air in the high frequencies. As I said it has depended on the phono stage. Prior to that I used to have tube monoblock's coupled with hard to drive mahler speakers a little too close to the wall giving it a slightly boomy character - got that licked now with my ss cj amp a little tighter in the bass and able to drive the mahlers better and have moved out from the back wall a little more.
Looks as thou MM input might be best for the XV-1s and MC for my fun TT.

Vetterone, thanks for the update. Sounds like it is a lot quieter than the rhea which just frustrated me. Also given the large Floyd back drop you must like loud rock music! rock on.
I'll listen to the steelhead with standard tubes - it should give me most of what it does, NOS should just be icing on the cake.

How many hours does it take before the unit is sounding sweet?

Sounds like Raul may not heard the steelhead after all, just summarising a set of audio urban legends and applying them as fact :>)

Now I can't wait for the unit to come in for listen!

cheers Shane

Shane, I bought my Steelhead new, and I found that it settled in very quickly. It bested my Lamm LP2 right out of the box. The changes in the sound with additional run-in were subtle.

Dear Shane: Tks for your answer. Now I understand what you mean about.
Btw, what you are asking: " makes your "non audiophile" records sound like shit. " " but it is the way a phono stage treats the not so good recordings and makes them enjoyable and removes the equipment from the equation (as much as possible) is what turms me on, " ,
is and ideal way to go: a phonopreamp where any thing go through it sound well, this is fine but not realistic.

I respect your opinion but I prefer a phonopreamp that tell me what the cartridge " take " from the LP: nothing more nothing less, an unfortunatelly the bad recording/mastered LP's will be sound bad and this " bad sound " is the true sound: this is what I'm looking for always.

About the autoformers: Cincy Bob already post about.

+++++ " I am aware of tube noise, " +++++

All te tubes are noisy by nature. As a fact the Steelhead is less noisy because in reality it is not a 100% tube unit: it use a j-fet at the critical first gain stage, so it is a hybrid design.

Unfortunatelly I never had the opportunity to heard the Steelhead in my system. I heard it at least in six different times: four with audio dealers and two times in audio systems that I know very well.

Now, the RIAA eq. deviation issue is a real problem on the Steelhead and at that price ( in my opinion ) is a high concern for every one.

I know that you and other Steelhead owners are satisfied with its performance and that kind of attitude don't help you and don't help the music, why? : because if the manufacturer always read that the Steelhead is a top performer he don't do nothing for an improvement in the faulty RIAA eq deviation. I think that every of us " music lovers " deserve more than what many manufacturers choose to give us through their audio devices.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Wc65mustang: +++++ " I give up " +++++, remember your post?

I was right with my answer to you that time. I knew your bad intention against me and your today post confirm it.

Keep laughing I think is the best and the only thing you can do.

+++++ " I for one take no stock in anything he says and read them for the entertainment content. " +++++

Tks for read me, I know for sure that you are learning.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

I am also using XV-1s to pair with the Steelhead and loading at 50 ohms. However, I am running it direct to the amplifiers. I find the sound very pure and transparent. I do also find that loading at 47k slightly reduces the bass. It is hard to go wrong with this phono stage given you can dial in your cartridge the way you want it. It is also as quiet as the Whest Audio Ps.20 phono stage I used before. I don't know the downside except the cost.