Current or former owners of ARC PH2 and/or LS5

I've personally owned, (and sold, I was an ARC dealer), both of these pieces.

The PH2 is indeed a phono stage only, not a head amp or pre-preamp. That was the MCP-2. So the PH-2 handles the RIAA conversation.

The LS5 is indeed a line stage only. ARC just labeled one of the inputs as phono, but it does NOT contain a phono stage.

I'm the original owner of a PH-2. It is a fully balanced solid state phono stage with XLRs in and out-- the only balanced phono in ARC's PH series, IIRC. With 48db gain it is best suited to MM/MI.

Over the years I've made light modifications, including better coupling capacitors, filtering capacitors, Schottky rectifier diodes, and upgraded resistors in the input section. The mods deliver an astonishing improvement over stock, which as I recall was somewhat grainy and sterile like other ARC solid state components of the '90s.

Thanks to both Mofimadness and Dgarretson for your kind responses. I would be especially interested, Dgarretson, in the modifications you performed (best caps and resistor brands/specs). I used to make very extensive modifications to my ARC and Quicksilver tube gear. I routinely completely rebuilt and redesigned tube gear from the ground up. I did phase out of the DYI audio hobby years ago, but still have some esoteric quality parts and can handle that kind of thing very well. I do happen to own a used PH2 and was intending to use it with the Pure Vinyl SW to apply RIAA in the digital domain for LP conversion to 192K 24-bit .WAV files, so now I know that option is out. However, if the modifications that Dgarretson performed can upgrade the quality of the PH2, maybe I would be happy digitizing its balanced output straight into my Digidesign 192 I/O converter and be perfectly happy with the results. I will be retiring in few months, maybe it would be fun to get out the old soldering iron, study schematics and get back in the DIY game!