VAC Owners:Outboard Phono Stage?

I've not compared tons of phono stages but I will say that when I owned a Ren Mk2, the internal MC phono easily beat the Rhea and Rhea Sig and was very similar to the Steelhead. However, you may want to consider an active gain stage phono or head amp, instead of an SUT. IME, SUTs are VERY sensitive to loading and cables. I found that the ZYX Artisan phono stage was VERY close to a Doshi Alaap phono stage and that the ZYX head amp also did a fantastic job, both w ZYX carts. FWIW, I've always thought that loading was more an issue w MC carts, and that for MMs, 47K was a de-facto standard. I could be wrong; its happened once or twice ;-)

Another vote for K&K maxxed out.

Mulveling and Swampwalker,
Thank you both for sharing your experiences and impressions.

So many cartridge loading possibilities and tweaks... and, of course, all the sincere recommendations we get from fellow audiophiles are great but will ultimately be subject to the reality of hearing the difference in our own systems. Which once again, makes the Steelhead appealing because of the handy remote control which offers us immediate A/B comparisons from our sweet spot!

Alas, as we go up the ladder of phono stages (a ladder that seems covered in oil at times), some really cool features do emerge, making a remote control even more appealing. Like the new ARC that has a number of RIAA curves to choose from when listening to DG, Columbia and Decca classical recordings of yesteryear, before universal adherence to the RIAA standard was fully adopted. It seems like all the early DG albums I have that never sounded quite right just need the correct RIAA curve applied to them and they spring to life!

Has anyone on this thread experienced that?

Podeschi,

I agree about the VAC line stage being amazing. I found your impressions of the phono stage helpful, especially the price point references, which align with the units I've chosen to compare to VAC's built in stage. I think I'm on the right track. Now it's just a matter of auditioning the units at home.

Maineiac,
Your recommendations are always good. I'll look into the K&K Maxed Out as well...

Alonski, eager to hear your impressions as you audition different units. I also heard EAR units at my dealer and those were very musical.