Manly Steelhead - any downside??

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.

Dear Vetterone: I never say nothing against you: ever.

Like Frank you are not ( fortunatelly ) a " member's club ".

About the SUT, Cyncy Bob already post an answer. So it is not only my opinion, it is an owner opinion and it will be very educative is you can post what you think about using the autoformers in the Steelhead against the MM stage: do you agree with Cyncy Bob ?

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Raul. I don't own a steelhead, hence all my questions. I think it is instructive and a bit of fun getting the thoughts of fellow music lovers both positive and negative. Including your own :)
Ultimately when I get the opportunity to listen to the steelhead I will make up my own mind, at this price it should sound better than any other phono stage I have owned or listened to.

Can't comment about the RIAA curve deviation - do all tube phono stages deviate that much or perhaps manley are just being honest :) Does not seem to make the unit sound any worse.
They do state they have accurate "4-corner" riaa equalisation which covers all the 4 time constants of 3180, 318, 75 microseconds and 3.2us, which the say most phono stages ignore which gives flat response to about 50khz. Not sure exactly what this means, pewrhaps someone else could expand.