Next Phonostage

I own the TW phono stage. It has stayed constant in my system for a while now while other stages have come and gone.

The only phono stage I have heard and contemplated replacing the TW was the ARC ref2 phono.

Lotus is correct, the ARC has such a huge soundstage and an ability for the music to float in 3d. At the time I did not feel the bass weight of the ARC was quite right. I believe the SE revision has solved this shortcoming.The TW has a little more drive. ARC had better blackess .

I am still considering the ref2se, but cannot listen to one first so undecided, as the TW does nothing wrong.

Both have that tube magic once heard is hard to do without.

Steelhead has never done it for me. Perhaps due to the fact the SUTs are a bit coloured.

I auditioned the Allnic H3000 at home a few years back, when my system was almost entirely different from today. I found it the most 3D and liquid of the several phono stages I brought in, including the Einstein RCA, Rhea Sig, Steelhead RC, ASR Basis, Wavestream. But for some reason, both it and the ASR hummed in my system. I doubt it was endemic to the pieces themselves but I couldn't track down the issue, otherwise I might have kept the Allnic--it was unique and very seductive. It might also have been a little colored but in a glorious way. I ended up with the Steelhead, which I liked the best of the rest. Still, I might audition the Allnic again sometime. I've never heard a phono stage quite like it.

how did the ref phono 2 compare to the xp-25?
i love tubes to the max, but was thinking, maybe, i could possibly get away with ss as i'm running tubed pre and power? no? i'm dreamin'?
how can one demo a ref2se? a/c don't represent anymore, so i don't know the new guys.

the allnic h3000v sounds like a great unit - do we have a distributor down this way?

I had a Steelhead (2.0 version, but without remote) that I bought new, and
used for a number of years. I rolled tubes, and settled on NOS Teles, and
NOS Raytheons for 7044 slots. I ran it through the MM, not the step-ups,
with both a Titan i and an Airtight PC-1.
It is extremely flexible, is built well and Manley's support is second to none.
I far prefer the Allnic H3000 in my system. It sounds less compressed and
conveys more spatial information. It is not a question of 3d image- the
Steelhead was able to deliver that as part of the system, but there is far
more separation of instruments and dynamics peculiar to each one that
comes out through the Allnic.
Some folks have used the Allnic and decided to go another route; i think it
is very system dependent.
I also rolled rectifier tubes in the power supply of the Allnic and currently
use a fat base Mullard 34 first series, and it sounds great. (I have a whole
pile of NOS rectifiers, and have played a little but nothing definitive on
comparisons of those tubes). The audio path uses telephony tubes which
are prone to microphony. Allnic uses special gel-sockets to address this.
FWIW, none of the tubes used in the Allnic are terribly pricey, and the
rectifier tubes are used for a lot of other equipment, including guitar amps.
The audio tubes are not as common, but also aren't terribly expensive. The
best of those, according to the importer and the manufacturer, come from
Philips in Holland, and can be marked variously as Mullards or Siemens.
I found the importer and dealer to be very responsive.
Other interesting phono stages might include Doshi. I'm not up on the latest
Tron gear, but everytime I've heard the system Jeff from High Water
demonstrates, it is good, and others have had great experience with that
company's equipment. I think, but am not sure, that you can opt for various
wiring upgrades, and perhaps a separate power supply on the Tron, but I
may be confusing the phono stage with his line stage or full featured
preamp (Syren?) which i gather is also terrific.
PS: I also had zero tube noise with the Steelhead, and I use 104db efficient
horns. Something awry there, and maybe not the Steelhead?

Whart, you're making want to try the Allnic again!