Best Phono stage under $1200? Audiomat?

based upon michael fremer's review, i'd say the camelot fono-stage would be at the top of my audition-list. based upon the comments of others a short while ago, when i was also looking for a reasonable fono-stage, i'd say the aragon 47k would also be worth a listen - a couple folks said that its lesser sibling, the anthem p10, smoked the musical surroundings phonomena & the lehmann black cube. i tried teh phonomena & found it too dry for me - even drier than the fono included in the linn kairn preamp. i"m now *really* happy w/my pentagon ps-3, which retails for ~$1750, but i picked it up for a song, cuz no one in the usa has ever heard of it - it's very nice. it used to be distributed here by discovery cable, mebbe they know how to get one. but, it's a full-sized piece. for a smaller unit, also check out the benz lukaschek - also highly touted.

I enjoy my Phonomena very much, and it only lacks a small percentage of the dynamics available with the Audio Research PH-3SE (and little if anything else that the AR has), in my opinion. Mine is the latest version, and it has matched FET output devices. I use it with my Benz Lo4, with 55 db of gain, loaded to 384 ohms (the way Michael Fremer loads lower output mc's, he is correct as usual). Works great, very liquid, very musical, very detailed, plenty dynamic, very deep subterranean bass with excellent rendition of pitch and snap; very low level retrieval of attack transients, microdynamics, and hall ambience. Anyhow, don't discount this thing till you try it...good luck and happy listening, Dhillock!

The latest version of the Lukaschek from Switzerland, has a retail price of $1350. I do not think it would be a problem to find a dealer to sell one at the $1200.00 limit you set. This tiny phono is designed and built by Albert Lukaschek, the same guy that manufacturers the Benz Micro line of cartridges. I have heard this phono, and for its price (and size!) it is amazing. If you audition it, check your system phase. Last time I listened to one, it was phase inverting. Best luck!