Phono preamp comparison: Herron vs. K&K


For those of you who listened to them side by side: how do you compare the sound of the Herron VTPH-1MC to the K&K Maxxed-out Standard and to the K&K Maxxed-out Premium ?

The sound of a phono preamp is very dependant, among other things, on the cartridge used, but anyway I am supposing you listened to them in good to very good situations. I use a Shelter 501 MKII.

By the way, they are both hard to find in the used market, but I have seen some Herrons, and not a single Maxxed. Can we conclude anything of that ?
tabaregg
The best phono stage out there is Kevin's new 3 stage, transformer coupled, differential series feed design. ;~) Unfortunately for us, the last I heard the projected retail was $18K. Fortunately for me I snapped up one of the beta versions when they were available. And yes, there has been several upgrades to it in the 2 years I've had it. Every one has been a major improvement. Kevin communicated to me last week a new "twist" on his series feed topology that will take it to a new level. I can't wait as this change also applies to my line stage and the input stage of my mono-blocks. As Kevin says: "No matter how good it sounds, it can always sound better". Amen
John_tracy, you're a lucky man with a beta version of one of Kevin's "all out" creations! I own a beta version of the upcoming Sonus Veritas DAC - so good that I've since sold my dCS Scarlatti transport/DAC/Master Clock. The latest iteration of his analog output stage confers incredibly satisfying body and soul to cd playback while preserving the subtlest of nuances and detail.
I would rather say, "No matter how good it sounds, it can always sound different".
I agree that your cartridge is holding back your system and the Lyra Delos is an excellent choice. I also had a Shelter 501 mk2 and upgraded to a Lyra Argo i. I guarantee that if you first make this change then you will have a whole new perspective on the phono pre upgrade path.