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Which phono preamp?

Hi All,

I am considering getting back into vinyl, Any suggestions on best phono preamp for the money? I was deciding between the internal phono amp from Rogue (I have a Rogue 99 preamp) or something like a Lehmann Audio Black Cube, They both go for about $500-$600. FYI--the rest of my system includes a BAT VK 200, Cary 303, Dynaudio 1.3 MkII, Nordost interconnects and Harmonic Technology Pro-11 Speaker cable.

Thanks
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philjolet's avatar
philjolet
2,306 posts
 
I have read that the Rogue phono section is almost as good as the $900 EAR phono section. I have the Rogue and it sounds good to me. The phono is one of the reasons I bought it because the price was only $400 extra.
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
Having Cary 303 I wouldn't go for Black Cube. I would get either BAT VKP5 or ARC PH3. Also Kora Eclipse full function preamp has a very nice mm/mc phono section.
Thus I suggest you to get phono section according to the rest of your electronics.
rives
953 posts
 
A used Sonic Frontiers Phono 1 comes to mind. You might even find the signature version at a good price, but I would get the standard and spend the extra $ on some really good NOS tubes. Also, be sure to match the impedance correctly with the cartridge--most people just use the nominal value, which is not the OPTIMAL value. It's a trial and error process, but one that pays off--possibly the cheapest and most effective turntable tweak in existance.
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