2. analog
  3. 1077210082

Venturing into Vinyl - Phono Stage Questions

Well, I'm finally taking the plunge. Albert Porter's Tuesday night sessions have effectively ruined digital for me, and I've decided to try analog for myself. But, I do have some basic equipment questions, and would appreciate the suggestions of the Audiogon community...

Right now, I am using Vandersteen 2CE's with a Rogue amp and an AES tube output CD player. I think I have found a turntable, but would appreciate some suggestions on a tubed preamp and phono stage. I'd like to stay between $550-750 for both, and it seems like my options are as follows. (1) Get an older pre with built in phono stage, or (2) go with lower cost separates.

So my questions are... How good are the built-in phono stages on some of the older preamps out there (I'm thinking older Audio Research, CJ, Audible Illusions, etc.)? How do they compare with some of the newer, budget level stand alone phono stages (e.g. Lehmann, Channel Island, Bottlehead, Hagerman, etc.)? I'm very interested in trying out the DIY kits out there (specifically the Bottlehead Foreplay or the Consonance Basie) for a preamp, so if the newer budget stuff is really as good as people seem to say, I'd be more than comfortable going that route (DIY pre and separate phono).

Any advice and recommendations would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Eric
ewha
4yanx
1,576 posts
 
I, too, unloaded a moderately priced SACD deck in favor of a $600 Denon which also contains a burner. It is sufficient for the infrequent occasion on which I slide a small one into the tray and I smoke off an LP onto plastic about every third day to give to my son for his car. Spent the balance on vinyl.
jwblaschke
25 posts
 
an audio research sp9 mk 2 can be had for less than $750. they are are compact, durable, cool running, use 2 tubes which you can roll for notable effects and well supported by a superb factory. if you don't like it, they can be easily sold here but i keep mine for a backup or for a spare phonostage and or testbed when something goes wrong in my system or my sons. it sounds better to us than a bat vk3I but we're building him a bottlehead.
ewha OP
80 posts
 
thanks for all the input, everyone. finally made some decisions, and the system is up and running! and i even stayed under budget! you can check out the results in my virtual system.
4yanx
1,576 posts
 
Nice job. How dare you stay under budget? What kind of precedent is that to establish for the rest of us?! :-)
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