2. analog
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Oh no , not another phono stage rec

Yes friends it is but with a twist .

I am seeking a phono stage with a warm presentation that will warm up , or come into its own , in a rather short time .
Let me explain . I am currently using the Music Hall MMF 5.1 turntable and their 2.2 model phono stage which is SS .
This 2.2 phono takes @ 7 hours to start to warm up or come into its own to sound decent . My tubed integrated amp takes about 30 minutes and by tubed CDP takes about 45 minutes to get to a nice listenable state . I do prefer tubed equipment for its sound and adjustability .
I live in paradise...central Florida , the lightening capital of the country ! Leaving my equipment plugged in is not an option and that is the twist !

So , a phono stage (tubed ?) that will produce good sound on the warm side of neutral and do it in a time frame commensurate with the other pieces , about 30-45 minutes .
I am using a MM cartridge and would like to keep the price under $1,500 , new or used . Does such an animal exist ?

Thank You
saki70
frogman
7,561 posts
 
Well, I listen mostly to jazz and classical (mostly far more complicated, but
not necessarily all fast); but also a fair amount of fusion jazz and classic
rock. The EAR has PRAT in spades according to my definition of PRAT;
that is, ability to let music be rhythmic in a natural way, and not the
"time stands still", rhythmically and dynamically dead feeling
that I hear in other (mostly solid state) pieces of gear. Now, if for you a little
softening and warming of the sound means reduction in PRAT, then the
EAR is probably not for you. But, it sounds like that is what you are looking
for. I hear the softening primarily in the bass where it can sound a little full
and round compared to others. Soundstaging is stable and generous, and
vocals sound great. It is not thin and bleached-out like a lot of electronics.
The thing about the EAR (and probably the reason it has been popular for
so long is that it has that elusive quality of letting you stop is tending for hi-fi
effects and listen to the music). It has tons of gain (I use it with a passive
pre), and resale value seems to be very good. Good luck.
saki70 OP
907 posts
 
Frogman ;
By PRAT I meant the speed of the playback , I guess . I once had a CDP , quite well respected , that actually played fast complicated music at a slower pace or rhythm than the original recording . It also did not quite sort out all of the individual notes sometimes .
What experiences have you had with tube rolling ?

Well I finally heard back from the Hagerman company . Guess I caught him at a bad time ! WOW !
That Ear unit is looking better and better .

Thank you .
frogman
7,561 posts
 
I know semantics makes these discussions difficult, but there is no way that an amplification device can slow down the tempo or speed of music. They may sound rhythmically lethargic, but not slower in speed.

I've done a lot of tube rolling. Favorites (in order) are: Telefunken 12ax7, Raytheon 7025, GE5751.
saki70 OP
907 posts
 
That's cool , thanks for the tube recs .
saki70 OP
907 posts
 
Does anyone here use a Jolida JD-9 ?
I would like to know about the warm up time period .

There seems to be some question as to whether the tubes are an actual gain stage or a buffer . I would 'guess' that if the tubes are just a buffer that the warm up time would be that of a SS unit , which is much longer and what I am trying to avoid .
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