AMR PH-77, ARC Reference 2, Allnic H-3000, Octave

Agucela, he has had nothing but praise for the sound and the versatile settings. He was unable to audition the Ref2 despite several requests.

I suggest the only way to really evaluate the performance of a statement product is to audition it in your own system.

I´m also unable to audition the AMR in my system. There is no one available for audition.

On the Stereophile review about the AMR.

Output is either via single-ended RCA or "convenience" XLR (ie, the single-ended output is available on an XLR but there is not an actual balanced output).

Isn´t the XLR output a real XLR?
What does that mean?

The Octave Phono Module is a versatile product, with the added luxury of being able to upgrade later on because of the modular concept. I used the integrated version in the Octave HP500SE, in which the Octave Phono was based on, and was totally satisfied, for years. I put the Einstein and ASR head to head with the Octave and stayed with the Octave. It was not until I heard the Aesthetix IO Signature, that I was finally swayed to make a leap to another phono stage, which cost me more than the Octave Integrated.

I have also heard great things about the Allnic.

The AMR components are single ended designs internally. Although I have not compared the PH-77 using balanced vs. single ended outputs, in some systems the CD-77 can sound slightly better using the balanced outputs.