Phono stage for Benz Wood H2


Hi there,

I have a Benz woodbody H2 that I have mounted to a VPI Scout and was wondering what anyone thought would be an appropriate phono stage to matchup with this cart that wouldnt break the bank. Currently I have a NAD PP-2 that I am sure isnt doing this tt/cart combo any justice. Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks!
abruceaudino
It's called the PH 1 DJH under their Audio Electronics brand. It has 36 dB of gain so you might need to be a bit forgiving of noise with the Benz which has a 2.5mV output at 3.54@cm/sec. Not a bad choice though.
What about a Benz Micro PP-1 phono stage? It's beautiful and very small and around $1k new. I think i've seen them from around $600 used. Works perfectly with Benz carts.
I was wondering if someone could educate me on the importance of gain in the pre-amp. What would be an optimal level of gain to look for?
I use a Benz Micro PP-1 with an L2. The PP-1 is a fixed device and might have too much gain for the high-output version of the cartridge, but maybe not.
Drubin may be right, I'm not sure. I misread your cart as a low output benz which i was using with my PP-1

The amp used to be sold at musical surroundings but i don't see it on their site anymore and don't have my amp for the stats.