Phono stage rec for Rega P25 with ZYX R100-02H

Hahaha -- I appreciate the reply. I had also wondered about the Chinook which is quite a bit more than either unit. I've read some on the forum about the Chinook but haven't seen a lot of pro reviews. What do you think about the CHinook?

What about Jolida JD9 vs Nighthawk?

Sorry, I can't help from personal experience. I have never actually listened to any of these phono stages. I do own a Music Hall PA 1.2 phono preamp, which I keep as a back-up. It is a surprisingly nice inexpensive phono stage, though I do not use it often. Most of my phono preamp experiences are with much more expensive stages that are out of your price range. I have heard the Manley Steelhead, but I have yet to hear the Chinook. My friend who went through this lives a couple thousand miles away from me. We only exchange e-mails, so I never heard any of the units personally. Happy hunting.

Thanks! I think finding the right amp under $1000 is not so easy. This is for a second system. My main home system has a Parasound JC3, which I really like. I ended up going for a new Jolida JD9 II, which I got for a good deal from an online dealer with cyber week specials!

Two more options I hadn't noticed mentioned. Heed Quasar- I use it in a second system. The Heed is quiet, and tonality veers on the warm side . It's high gain setting would likely work well for the ZYX, as their specs run conservative. The other is a new version of the Lehman Black cube w/ outboard PS. I just saw a review of this one on Analog Planet. These both retail for just over a grand, $1100 and $1200 US.