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Phonostage: Naim Superline vs 47 Labs phonocube

Choosing between these two phonostages. I already use Naim CDP and amp in my system so I am familiar with their sound. 47 labs is unknown to me but their philosophy attracts me.

I am looking for a phonostage which is lively and open with good PRAT. I have heard good things about both these phonostages but the negatives I have heard are:

1. The Naim Superline lacks air

2. 47 Labs phonocube works well within their system concept, but unpredictable outside. Their phonostage doesnt have any impedance matching features so they may work very well with Miyabi 47 cartridge but not with other cartridges.

Please shed some light on these issues. What are your thoughts and observations. Whatever I buy will be long terms and I do not have the option of listening to them :(
pani
chashas1
596 posts
 
Hi Pani,
Superline needs a ps, ala Hi-cap. No good on its own
47 Labs nice, but in their system only.
Linn Uphorik betters those, and it sounds wonderful in a Naim system.
rbrowne
175 posts
 
I would guess the 47 Labs Phono Cube would work just fine with the Naim Nait 5i as both the Gaincard and Shigaraki integrated amps that 47 Labs makes have a 22K ohm input impedance.
stanwal's avatar
stanwal
3,147 posts
 
I am getting a Teddy Pardo version of the Supercap; the Naim version is over twice the price of the Superline; in the HIFICRITIC tests the Uphoric was quite good but not as good as the Superline; which is about twice as expensive as the Uphoric. I have a non Naim system. A friend who use to sell the 47 Labs line was not terribly impressed with their construction or value for money. YMMV.
chashas1
596 posts
 
True, with hicap the superline is twice the uphorik, but not twice the sq. but if I remember the review correctly, didn't they use the supercap, which would make it 3 times the uphorik? Then I'd probably definitely go superline, knowing what a fancy naim ps can do.
But if the op is using a nait5i, I'm sure that's way above his range. Maybe? Source first, you know.

The teddy is very nice, stanwal. I'd love to hear his new mono amps that just came out.

Good luck, op
stanwal's avatar
stanwal
3,147 posts
 
I bought my Superline on here for around $1900 and paid $1600 for power supply and cable so price wasn't too far above a new Uphoric [ what a hell of a name]. The Uphoric would be a good deal used if you could find one.
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