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Phono preamp selection

So my budged dropped to about $1,000 for a preamp, which will be matched with the VPI Classic, Lyra Delos cart and Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum tube amp. The usual suspect and main candidates are:

1. Heed Audio Quasar
2. PS Audio GCPH
3. Sutherland Ph3D
4. Musical Surroundings Nova Phonomena

Heed is the only preamp I can probably audition. I've heard good things about all four, but I am intrigued by the battery powered units, which remove any issues with the power supply. All four pretty much offer as much flexibility as one might need. I find the Nova manual very confusing regarding the gain and load setting, which turned me off to it, but otherwise sounds great. The GCPH modded is apparently absolutely incredible, but it's outside of my price range at the moment. I feel sort of weird about the Sutherland being powered by D-cell batteries.

I'd love to hear your recommendations and opinions. Thank you.
actusreus
downunder
1,329 posts
 
Agree with jdolgin

a s/h EAR 834P will be a hwole lot more musically satifying than the other units. It also has the ability to sound better as your system gets better.

Roll in a couple of mullard tubes and your EAR steps it up a couple more notches.
actusreus OP
733 posts
 
It's hard to argue with 834P reviews, which are all stellar, but one thing that kind of bothers me with this preamp is the fact that it has a load of 6 Ohms for MC carts, only. I've been told by owners that the Delos works best at around 200 Ohm setting, and I would ideally like to have an option to experiment with load settings. That said, I've never heard this being an issue with the 834P, so I wonder what's really going on with the resistive loading of moving coil cartridges. Is this some sort of a myth or illusion?
jaspert
157 posts
 
EAR 834P is a safe bet. Love mine with various NOS MMs I play.
Nova Phonomena ( I have a Supernova which is much and much the same in sound) is a bit more neutral and less euphonic, had various loading and gain option but I still prefer the EAR for MM or Allnic H1500SE for LOMC in general.

I also had the stock GCPH in the past and it's a well built unit but mediocre sound at best. Wonder what the reviewers were on.

Where as I think Ray Samuel Nighthawk F117 is much better for less money. This thing is very, very good for the money.
slaw's avatar
slaw
21,476 posts
 
Just a friendly note... I've owned an EAR 834 P (black) w/ volume for several years, and the RCA jacks work loose( the outer portion ie.. ground). I love the unit but for the price and Tim's reputation, this shouldn't even be an issue.
213cobra
885 posts
 
>>213cobra, do you have the Jasmine?<<

I do own the Jasmine. It is switchable for 55db or 70db gain. Who cares what Musical Surroundings says? They sell a lower-gain unit. Sure, if you design a circuit to deliver more gain using inferior methods or parts, sound will suffer. But the Jasmine is very carefully designed and executed. It's quiet, too. It sounds better than the majority of phono preamps, regardless of price. You can use the 55db gain position for the Delos.

On the Jasmine, you get 47Kohms impedance on the MM 55db gain setting and choices of 50/100/250/1k ohms on the MC 70db gain setting. What more do you need? Use a transformer into 47k, which is what you should be doing anyway.

>>What cartridge are you using, if you are, to be so confident the Jasmine outperforms the other preamps?<<

Let's see....Right now, I variously use Denon DL103D, 103R, DL305, DL103M, 103FL, 103Gold, Zu103, Ortofon SPU Synergy, SPU Meister Silver, Signet TK9LC, and I've listened to Koetsu Urushi Vermillion and Black Goldline through the Jasmine. I use some of these cartridges with MC SUTs into the 55db gain position, which is preferable in general for MC carts, but straight into the 70db gain position, they all sound magnificent as well. I use Koetsu, EAR MC3 and Cinemag transformers.

The Jasmine isn't the only phono stage I have. I also use Audion Premier, Wright WPP100C, the MM phono section of an Audion Premier full preamp and a Bel Canto Phono1. I put the Jasmine up against a Manley Steelhead and the Manley was left crying in a corner, but that wasn't surprising. It humiliated a K&K.

>>Considering how many positive reviews the other units have got, that's quite a ballsy statement!<<

I've been spending my own money on serious audio for 40 years, going back to the time when you didn't buy a separate phono stage because full preamps with great phono sections were routinely offered. I don't need reviews to validate my choices and I hear a LOT of gear. I've had much more expensive and cheaper phono preamplifiers and while I'm not saying there aren't better phono preamps available, this one is a genuine gem, a sleeper in the best tradition, and it will make better, higher-fidelity music than any competing item on your original list.

But understand I think every phono stage on your list is fully credible. These are all good phono stages. It's just that the Jasmine is better. It would cost far more if it were made in Europe or the US, instead of China, but its Chinese origins do not reflect *any* lessening of design or execution. The designer is seriously talented, he knows good sound and how to get it and his build quality, parts selection and general execution are beyond reproach.

If you like reviews, here's one worth reading:

http://www.jasmineaudio.net/DAGOGO_Review_Jasmine_Audio_LP2_phono_stage.pdf

Phil
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