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Pre-amp with MC to replace Audiolab 8000C

RichShortland

pfm Member
Hi all,
a friend of mine is experiencing problems with his pre-am on MC input and has decided it's time to replace it.

System is:
LP12, Akito, AT-OC9III, Lingo
Audiolab 8000C
Huge Musical Fidelity class A amp
QLN Signature speakers

Any suggestions for what might suit? (most likely used)
Budget something like £5-600.

He quite likes the idea of something with valves and likes my Croft Phono Integrated, but I wasn't sure if Croft did anything MC..?
He's also considered Copland.

Any ideas welcome.
Thanks, R
 
A Rega Cursa 3 would work well. So would a Linn Kairn MC, I think they’d be available around that price. The Kairn is the better of the two.
 
He quite likes the idea of something with valves and likes my Croft Phono Integrated, but I wasn't sure if Croft did anything MC..?

Croft do not and I am reasonably confident in saying that essentially no purely valve MC phono stages have ever been commercially available. Valve MC stages that are available are generally MM stages with inline SUTs fitted.

Many people do like SUTs or head amp's into Croft MM stages though. Me included. A used phono Croft pre (Micro) is likely to sell for around £5-600 now, many flavours available which seems not to affect price.
 
Croft do not and I am reasonably confident in saying that essentially no purely valve MC phono stages have ever been commercially available. Valve MC stages that are available are generally MM stages with inline SUTs fitted.

Many people do like SUTs or head amp's into Croft MM stages though. Me included. A used phono Croft pre (Micro) is likely to sell for around £5-600 now, many flavours available which seems not to affect price.

It has been done but rare as hens teeth for obvious reasons.
 
i have a Linto myself but these rarely seem to come up 2nd hand. Plenty of options out there, others probably better placed to advise.
 
One of my Arkless GTi units with a passive after it (assuming the big MF amp is a power amp) takes some beating. Much cheaper than an SUT or head amp into a Croft!
 
Copland made some excellent valve preamps with very good on board valve MM stage , either the CTA 301 mki or mkii, some of the later mkii had remote control for volume, mute and source selection. These were manufactured by Xenna in Sweden.

I currently use a CTA 301 mkii (no RC). I haven't tried a headamp or SUT into the Copland as yet but would like too at some stage.

I tried one the later CTA 305 preamps , didn't like or rate the solid-state on board MM stage, plus I was put off by the Philips head screws which held the cover I place, these were made of something with a similar hardness to cheese. The 305 is manufactured in China.

None of the Copland preamps have an on board MC stage AFAIK, so similar to the Croft in that it would require a SUT or headamp.

The Croft Vitale and Epoch preamps I tried years ago both had excellent onboard valve MM stages though I never could get accustomed to the dual volume controls.
I'd much prefer the design, build quality and ergonomics of the Copland pre, a later mkii with RC would be nice, my previous Copland CSA28 integrated had the RC.
 


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