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What phono stage do you use ?

oceanobsession said:
I use a nick gorham moving coil valve phono stage with adjustable loading,

I borrowed his demo unit for a while which i found bettered my ear 843p so

i put my order in and sold my ear 843p,

I have now fitted two e88cc and one 5687 nos mullards and it sounds great.
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Now that's one phono stage I would like to hear. Nick has quite a reputation for building unique stuff :)
 
Whest 2 with a modified TPX superb stock but much better with the supply fantastic soundscape image is rock solid and totally musical. Am waiting for a modified MSX. James is a great chap to deal with.
 
Rotel RQ10 (Michi). Currently have the outputs jumpered/routed via the integral volume pot as it made recording old vinyl onto a laptop (via external ADC) easier, but decided to keep it that way.

Technics SL1200/DL103, Kit 34 valve amp and Rega Ela's complete the modest picture.

Kinda regretting selling my Linn LP12 atm.. have never really 'loved' the Technics as much as my old Fruit Box...
 
Chops54 said:
Now that's one phono stage I would like to hear. Nick has quite a reputation for building unique stuff :)
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I first contacted nick gorham with the intention of modifying my ear 843p, but after speaking with nick he recomended world audio design or his own
design which does not use a step up transformer.

If you are thinking about valves, i can recommend his phono stage it has improved my record collection no end.

I found nick gorhams phono stage a bargain for its price and like any other
valve based design new old stock is the way to go with mullard/brimar being
a favorite .
 
sonddek said:
Question seems clear enough to me.

I use a Linn Uphorik, a Dynavector P75, and the phono inputs of a Linn Kairn. I bought the Uphorik when Linn offered to activate your amps for free with it (I have 5-way speakers), and because I wanted to be able to try a range of different cartridges with appropriate loading. It's definitely better than my previous Linto and the DV P75. In fact, I think I prefer the Kairn's stages to the P75 but they are all good.

Je ne regret rien.
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Hmmmm interesting, I'm still using a linto very happily and have wondered how much better the uphorik really is!

It seems you had a good deal as you got 10 aktiv cards included in the price and presumably the conversion too but would you say the uphorik is worth the asking price alone?
 
linnfomaniac83 said:
Hmmmm interesting, I'm still using a linto very happily and have wondered how much better the uphorik really is!

It seems you had a good deal as you got 10 aktiv cards included in the price and presumably the conversion too but would you say the uphorik is worth the asking price alone?
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No. The Linto is very close. It only takes a few seconds to hear the greater clarity of the Uphorik, but it's not the kind of difference I can get that excited about. The ten active cards and amp conversion made it all add up. However, the Uphorik's loading switches can enable you to get satisfactory results from cartridges which might not sound right with a Linto. Right now I'm using an OC9II, for example. I have capacitance set at 1.5nF. The cartridge cost me 230 quid new, so the Uphorik stopped me paying more.
 
I use am now using the Leema Agena. I also have the Trichord Diablo with NCPSU.

I have listened to a number of stages including the Uphorik, IOS, MCR Reference and Diablo and the Agena is comfortably the best of all the stages that I have had in my system in my opinion. The Uphorik was the least successful of all of the stages that I tried.

The Anatek MCR reference was the only one that I would have replaced the Diablo with in my system. The improvement was marginal however and at £2k not enough of a move forward. The Agena was and is a different story. The improvements were immediate and obvious and it continues to delight me.
 
Another TRON user here. Mine's an on board MC phono stage on a TRON Meteor pre-amp (predecessor of the current Syren). Mine doesn't have two inputs (although you can specify that at build or ask GT to modify it later), so I also use a World Audio Design Pre 3 for my Decca C4E/Hadcock (as my TT has two arms).
The TRON phono stage is extremely quiet, has no hum or audible circuit noise (even on 104db/W horns) and sounds truly excellent.
 
A Tom Evans Microgroove +, between an LP12 with Ortofon Cadenza Blue and Exposure 23/28, which I'm really pleased with.
 
I forgot to mention i am using a "audiovalve Sunilda" at the moment

I must admit i am quite happy with it
 
I am using a EAR 834P valves have been changed to NOS Brimar and Telefunken, very special in its sound quality. I have this year added a Living Voice SUT which has art audio transformers, this has really brought the record collection alive.
 
oldius said:
I use am now using the Leema Agena. I also have the Trichord Diablo with NCPSU.

I have listened to a number of stages including the Uphorik, IOS, MCR Reference and Diablo and the Agena is comfortably the best of all the stages that I have had in my system in my opinion. The Uphorik was the least successful of all of the stages that I tried.

The Anatek MCR reference was the only one that I would have replaced the Diablo with in my system. The improvement was marginal however and at £2k not enough of a move forward. The Agena was and is a different story. The improvements were immediate and obvious and it continues to delight me.
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Very interested in your experience as I didn't do any comparisons (except with my Linto) before buying my Uphorik. Can you try to describe what was disappointing about it, and what the other amps had that it lacked? Any information which can help me build a shortlist of alternative candidates will be very useful. It's hard to get useful a/b comparisons between exotic phono stages, and at this level I have come to think that I need to live with kit to really decide whether it suits me. Even comparing three stages is therefore expensive and hard work.
 
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