Best Phono Pre-amp..for the money?

I've been using a Lehmann Audio Black Cube for about a year and have very pleased with it. At used prices ($350-450), it's very hard to beat. There are some other models out there, however, that better it. Camelot Technology, for example, has a battery-powered phono preamp that sells for around $1000 that has gotten glowing reviews. The question I'd ask you: how much do you want to spend? If you are willing to spend $1000, there are several models that will beat the Black Cube, but if you want to stay under $500, I think the Black Cube is your best choice.

After I made my last post, another idea hit me. If you want to spend VERY little money for a very good phono preamp, you might consider buying a used Adcom GFP-565 preamp. It had one of the best phono stages available, and you can buy it used for under $300. (Infact, there is one listed now on Audiogon.) I owned the 565 for about 5 years, and thought it did a terrific job with my phono cartridge and other analog inputs.

There's a DIY kit in www.tnt-audio.com that is reputed to blow away the Lehman. Worth taking a look.

This is a recommendation along the lines of using an Adcom preamp---pick up a Bryston .5B, 11B or 12B. They all use the same Bryston phono stage which, when sold (used) separately people happily pay $400. A .5B should be $300 or a bit less, the other two $400-500. You get an excellent phono stage, a lot better than the Adcom (I've had all), and a complete line stage for nothing. I should also add that I had the nearest Bryston service centre increase the phono stage gain from the factory-set 35dB to 40dB and am very pleased with the results. Another similar suggestion is to pick up a used Meitner PA6 or PA6i preamp with MM phono stage. It's markedly better than either the Bryston or Adcom equivalents and for some inexplicable reason the Meitner preamp sells on the used market for as little as $300.

The PH3 is great at about $1k used. You have to hear it.