Which MM Phono Preamp Sounds Best?

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jls001

jls001

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Here's another fun comparision put up by Home | Analog Planet, this time between:

1) Nerve Audio PH 1.1 (MM only, $99 )
2) Micromega MyGroov (MM/MC, $269)
3) iPhono (MM/MC, $399 ) and
4) Creek OBH-15 MkII (MM/MC, $595)

Common turntable is Zorin Audio TP-S3 ($4180), arm is Zorin PUS-12 ($2280), a 12 inverted unipivot, and cartridge is Shure M97xE.

Download the four recordings and decide what you think sounds best. You can post your vote on the analogplanet page. File A is being downloaded. Surprisingly, it is an AIFF file.
 
jls001 said:
Here's another fun comparision put up by Home | Analog Planet, this time between:

1) Nerve Audio PH 1.1 (MM only, $99 )
2) Micromega MyGroov (MM/MC, $269)
3) iPhono (MM/MC, $399 ) and
4) Creek OBH-15 MkII (MM/MC, $595)

Common turntable is Zorin Audio TP-S3 ($4180), arm is Zorin PUS-12 ($2280), a 12 inverted unipivot, and cartridge is Shure M97xE.

Download the four recordings and decide what you think sounds best. You can post your vote on the analogplanet page. File A is being downloaded. Surprisingly, it is an AIFF file.
Click to expand...

I don't know about other three Phonostages but FM dranil's friend recentle built CNC Phonostage. He says it sounds lot better than Creek OBH-15 MkII phonostage.He has recently sold his Creek and using CNC and AD797 HQMC Phonostage for Ortofon and Denon Dl-103.
I have posted his review here (#576) http://www.hifivision.com/phono-turntables/20115-batery-powered-diy-cnc-phono-stage-58.html
Edit: Sorry for OT

Regards,
Sachin
 
I was about to start a new thread on phono stages because I have a friend abroad who comes to my home whenever he is in town. He is highly knowledgeable in matters considering vinyl system and has Turntables including 2 EMT, Thorens 124 and 121 to name just a few and some of the best phono stages and pre amplifiers. He used to always say my phono stage was the weakest in my system. To be continued...
 
Sorry for the interruption. My friend brought me a brand new iphono about 8 months back but I did not like it then for 2 reasons. 1. It was new and was still in break-in period. 2. I did not know how to use it frankly. But I borrowed it second time when he came this time and I had my LOMC Denon DL 103 R and with a little from an FM, I managed to set the dip switches correct and wow, the outcome was just amazing. In my listening room, I have never heard anything like what I am hearing. It has brought the best out of the system. Now to MM, I have been using Shure 97 xe for several years and I used to think it was highly overrated by everyone until I set the correct loading and it sounded so balanced and smooth. I would consider the iphono phono stage to be the best phono stage at affordable price and the best I have heard in my listening room. I have borrowed a few reputed phono stages from my friends but did not like most of them. The only other phono pre amp that I liked apart from this is Yaqin MS 12-B which is again very smooth and classy.
 
I'd agree. Been using the iPhono for the past year and a half, and it has redefined vinyl reproduction for me. Every LP in my collection calls for a re-listen now. Phono stages are as important as cartridges in the vinyl cycle, and the improvements can sometimes be staggering.
 
reubensm said:
The phonostage of my NAD 106 preamp is the best I've heard on my rig till date.
Click to expand...

I liked the Nad PP2 stage but when you experience something like iPhono, you will realise that there is a huge improvement from phono stages like Nad and few others like them
 
I have heard NAD PP1, Cambridge Audio 640, Rod Elliott - ESP (with LM4562 Op amps) DIY Phono stage and inbuilt phono stage of my Marantz KI Pearl Lite amp. For me the Marantz inbuilt phono stage is much better than the others which I specified here. The interesting part is Rod Elliott - ESP DIY phono stage is better than NAD PP1 for my ears.
 
I don't have any comparisons nor do I have a turntable that can do justice to the phono stage. I've got a Trigon Vanguard II hooked up to my Rega RP1 running stock stylus. The best results with the Trigon are with a MC cart though.
 
Well the only phonos I've tried at home are the CA 651c, Lyrita Audio Phono, Trigon Advance, a DIY CNC that a friend got over and my current McCormack Phono Drive. I tried them with a Clearaudio concept mc and a Shure m97xe mm cartridge.

The latter completely demolished the rest in tone, dynamics, smoothness, detail retrieval and imaging/sound staging. The only area where the CA and Trigon were better was that they had slightly more blacker backgrounds. However the CA had a very unnatural tone and the Trigon was a bit thin sounding for my tastes.

I think the only way I can upgrade from this phono is to get something in the 4-5k USD range. How I wish AMR comes out with a lower end version of their statement PH-77. That would be my perfect phono stage to upgrade to.
 
The iPhono is indeed the trickle down version of the AMR PH-77. They're both designed by Thorsten Loesch.
 
G401fan said:
The iPhono is indeed the trickle down version of the AMR PH-77. They're both designed by Thorsten Loesch.
Click to expand...

Yep it is but to be honest comparing an iFi component with an AMR component is like comparing chalk and cheese. While iFi is a great product at its price point, it is not even remotely comparable to an AMR product be it in build quality, aesthetics, quality of parts used and finally the sound quality.

It would be great if AMR brought out a premier series PH-777 with a single input and no digital encoding. Those are much more affordable to mere mortals like me than the reference series PH-77.
 
For phonostages, just like audio equipment, there is no such thing as the best as what may sound good to one person may not sound good to the other. There are a whole lot of dependencies and then there's the value-for-money factor as well. If a Rs.3000 phonostages just sounds a step below a Rs.50000 phonostage, I would say that I like the sound of the Rs.3000 one, better. A lot also has to do with the genre of music as well. When I listen to rock, my DIY CNC phonostage sounds better than my NAD 106 preamp's phonostage but when I listen to everything else, the NAD106 easily beats it. The CNC sounds better than the 3020's phonostage for everything. Another factor is how you like your music. For example, there is a lot written about the different settings of dip-switches on CNC phonostages relating to the phonostage sounding smooth or opening up with specific load settings. My wife and I liked the sound of the CNC phonostage without any loading resistor. I would say its all about personal choice :)
 
Very happy with my CNC phono, thanks Sachin! It's given me years of joy and hopefully many more to come! Only issue is the money spent and wastage of 9 volt batteries. But, the sound is fantastic!
 
reubensm said:
For phonostages, just like audio equipment, there is no such thing as the best as what may sound good to one person may not sound good to the other. There are a whole lot of dependencies and then there's the value-for-money factor as well. If a Rs.3000 phonostages just sounds a step below a Rs.50000 phonostage, I would say that I like the sound of the Rs.3000 one, better. A lot also has to do with the genre of music as well. When I listen to rock, my DIY CNC phonostage sounds better than my NAD 106 preamp's phonostage but when I listen to everything else, the NAD106 easily beats it. The CNC sounds better than the 3020's phonostage for everything. Another factor is how you like your music. For example, there is a lot written about the different settings of dip-switches on CNC phonostages relating to the phonostage sounding smooth or opening up with specific load settings. My wife and I liked the sound of the CNC phonostage without any loading resistor. I would say its all about personal choice :)
Click to expand...

+1 to this.

In general for normal listening with normal turntables DIY phono stages serve the purpose. I must say a quality constructed DIY phono stages give equal or very marginally less performance of any commercial Rs.10000 phono stages. Those DIY are sufficient for any 30 to 40K amplifier setup. Even I done few for me and friends. Friends whom using those are also similar opinion. Commercial phonos are better in terms of visual, fit and finish in most of time.

I will display picture of few Phono stages this weekend which I constructed.
 
reignofchaos said:
Well the only phonos I've tried at home are the CA 651c, Lyrita Audio Phono, Trigon Advance, a DIY CNC that a friend got over and my current McCormack Phono Drive. I tried them with a Clearaudio concept mc and a Shure m97xe mm cartridge.

The latter completely demolished the rest in tone, dynamics, smoothness, detail retrieval and imaging/sound staging. The only area where the CA and Trigon were better was that they had slightly more blacker backgrounds. However the CA had a very unnatural tone and the Trigon was a bit thin sounding for my tastes.
Click to expand...

Nice, what would be your rating order for these amps?
 
I do accept that it's all personal preference. But as one uses better Turntables, tonearms and cartridges, one will need stand alone phono stages to bring the best out of the systems. Yes, I have used DIY phono stages and considered them good for the system they were supporting.
 
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