Phono stage recommendations
- Thread starter richef
- Start date
Tim Jones
pfm Member
It really isn't...
If you're using MC, those Cambridge stages are just really, really bad; compressed and coloured. Very easily bettered by a s/h P75.
Tarzan
pfm Member
Gives my Art Audio Vinyl One ( Definitive Audio version ) a run for its money- not that l post that on an audio forum.
Last edited:
gavreid
Pretty Words...
Try it. MC only.
In my experience the lower the coil impedance the better results I've had, this may just be anecdotal and coincidence with the cart actually being better.
Not sure what methodology and equipment you used, but your assessment of the CA phono stages is way off the mark.
Have a look at the data here:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...nts-of-cambridge-audio-duo-phono-preamp.6901/
As you can see from the data, for a phono stage dynamic range is very wide, therefore no compression. Overload margins, RIAA eq. and distortion are all very good, so where does this mythical colouration come from?
By way of comparison, here’s a budget G. Slee phono preamp:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...amp-2-communicator-review-phono-preamp.32888/
The current rankings table from the same site can be seen in the review of the PS Audio phono stage:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...udio-stellar-review-phono-preamplifier.26829/
If wasn’t already clear, there is little correlation between price and performance when it comes to audio equipment.
Edit: I own a CP-2 - not my primary phono preamp - and it exhibits none of the characteristics you ascribe to CA phono stages. In fact the CP-2 is good enough that it is not worth my time or money to build a typical DIY design phono stage.
Interesting question and very necessary information.
When I had a P75 with DV17, I didn't speculate as I though these just match, they did indeed with Dr T settings.
When I tried P75 in ordinary settings for MM in other deck, I was underwhelmed and found Dr T is the main reason to own P75 stage.
. Have a 640p ready to go. 
Arkless Electronics
Trade: Amp design and repairs.
I've not yet had a problem with one that doesn't give great results but indeed ones with unusually high internal resistance could just possibly not be at their best with a transimpedance stage, however, I'm not sure if any genuinely low output MC indeed has such a high internal resistance as for it to be an issue. A very few LO MC's can get up in the 30 - 40 Ohms area (some Benz units for example) but IIRC at least one user has a Benz of such resistance and gets great results.
The "virtual short circuit" that a transimpedance stage presents to the cart means that the inductance of the coils can form a low pass filter in conjunction with the very low input impedance of the transimpedance phono stage. In other words the self inductance of the coils increasingly limits the ability of the cart to "drive power" into the transimpedance input as frequency increases. With sensible normal internal resistance MC's it's not an issue as at worst it may mean a 1dB fall off at say 50KHz so it's entirely academic.
This is why the technique is basically limited to use with LO MC's and not suitable for HO MC's or MM's. A HO MC may be say -3dB @ only 15KHz and a MM probably -3dB by say 500Hz and now't left after say 3KHz!
That is generally accepted with MC cartridges, However there are a few exceptions...