K&K Phono

The best attribute of the K&K is that it is extremely quiet. The SE version which I had exhibited exceptional bass and was very clear on the top end. Not lush IMO, but leaning more towards the neutral side. If you get the version that allows you to roll tubes you have the benefit of tailoring the sound somewhat, although I believe the 6N1P is the best tube to use in it.

The most recent iteration of the K&K uses the 6h23p-eb/6922/E88CC. I have the Maxxed-out version (Cardas caps, Lundahl LL1931 SUTs) of this phono stage, and enjoy it considerably. It is extremely revealing of what is fed into it, very quiet and transparent. If you are looking for euphonic replay of vinyl, I would look elsewhere.

-Richard

I, too, built the K&K phono kit. I found it to be challenging but achievable. Kevin gave good support. The Lundahl step up transformers take a couple of hundred hours to break in fully, so be patient. Ultimately, the Lundahl sounds very good.

Strenghts IMHO: prat, transparency, timbre, quiet, instrument harmonics, detail and recording room ambience. I feel it is neutral to my ears and setup. I agree with other posters who say if you want something warm, like conrad johnson, you probably want to look elsewhere.

In my version, it requires more work to change the gain (not impedance). I've thought about upgrading mine to the current version to have that flexibility, which I think is a nice improvement to the layout of the current version (not a sonic change). Jeff

Nothing much to add, I agree it is quiet, transparent, excellent dynamics, good stage depth. In a word it sounds like music, in comparison with similarly priced SS units I have heard against it, such as the Whest P20, Clearaudio reference. An unequivical recommendation, you will need to spend a lot more to better it. My only confession is Kevin built mine for me, I chickened out of a self build. Under the hood it is neat and well laid out, with quality components.I have the SE version too by the way