LAP-150 MkII - How good is the phono stage

I have the LAP-150 MkII. I love it. I use it with a VPI Scoutmaster and a Benz Wood M. Full bass, rich midrange, non-fatiguing highs, quiet background, highly musical sound. Very accurate and detailed but not so hyper-detailed that you notice the system more than the music.

It is a very nice sounding phono stage and is voiced similar to the rest of the Joule line i.e. very lush midrange, good bass, and full sounding. Not as detailed as some other phono stages. I have no expereince with the SE version.

SE version has slightly less lush midrange but much more natural and very detailed. You will be "grabbed" by music as all Jud'c components are.... Similarly sounding LA-300ME was described by Harry Pearson as "most romantic" preamplifier.

I said similarey sound because "SE" version its the same as the main one but with tubes and signal capacitors identical to that of Marrianne-Electra series preamps, so texture is practically the same...for better or worse.

I loved the ops1 mk4 I had. With the right tubes (Windmill getter 5751's and good quiet NOS 6922's, and a good Ac cable)... It was quiet, big stage, dynamic, wet, palpable, detailed too. Great deep bass soundstaging and hall info. A winner and a bargain when purchased used. But you need a cart with at least .5mv output (or a step up tranny - I have yet to hear one I like a little bit), and a single ended system. I would not put it before a balanced preamp/amp combo. The opsmk4 bettered a Xono and JLTI head to head here.