K&K any comments?

I am starting to think that this is a phono stage I can live with. Doe sit lack in any way? What would it take to beat the K&K and how would it be better? Also I leave mine on all the time is that ok?

I don't think it is the best phono stage there is, I do at the price. I have compared it wwith a number of other stages recently, including the Whest 20. It was comprehensively better, more musical, deeper base quiet. i also compared it with the Tron in an all tron system. The Tron was quieter, a little more dynamic, not much in it, but it is about twice the cost. It has tubes in it, so I do'nt leave mine on. It does'nt seem to take long to warm up, half an hour maybe. I hope that is helpful.

I have a KandK moving coil setup with a Lyra Helikon sl cartridge. IMHO if you find the KandK to be "creamy", you probably need to look at other components in your system. I feel the KandK can support excellent cartridges. It is timberally accurate, portrays room ambience very well, and is fast without edge. (Mine is the 6n1p version just prior to the current 6922 version. No volume control and I installed the black gate caps modification. The main caps are the kimber/cardas combination.)

I discussed the most recent 6922 version with Kevin. If you are looking for a defined focus and a little less room ambience, he says the v-caps work well. If you prefer more room ambience to the recording and more harmonics or microdynamics, then he recommends the cardas caps or the mundorf.

He feels the cardas caps are very transparent and do harmonics and microdynamics great. I questioned this, since I've owned cardas golden ref cables and they are quite dark. Kevin said he was reluctant to try the cardas caps under the same assumption, but at the prompting of a friend, he tried them and says they bear no resemblence to the rolled off nature of the cardas cables.

Anyway, I've enjoyed my KandK phono stage and look forward to building his 6922 kit version sometime. Best, Jeff

Pedrillo,

Is your KandK phono the max-out version?
Thx.
Joel

Just to stir the waters a little: Kevin has a new phono stage design that is ready for roll out in beta form. Fully differential, 3 stage, series feed (current kit is parallel feed) design with cascode CCSs at the "tail" of each stage and a separate cascode CCSs to feed a filter cap and shunt resistor to supply the B+ for each stage. Both the plate and the cathode sides of the tubes are isolated from the PS by high impedence current sources. Series feed means no parafeed caps to color the sound. Only caps in signal path are RIAA filter caps. I have built Kevin's fully differentail parallel 6550 mono-blocks with a similar circuit topology to this and can say they are very quick, dynamic and transparent amps. Expect new phono pre to be also. Downside? 2) LL1931s and FOUR amorphous core ITs mean it will not be cheap! I expect to get my hands on one in the next few weeks. I will post a follow-up.