New £1k Phono Stage - recommendations

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Berty bass
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New £1k Phono Stage - recommendations

Unread post by Berty bass »

I thought twice about posting this here for fear it being deemed sacrilegious but, on reflection, this may be exactly the right place to post! I currently own a NVA Phono 2 (MC) which, for reasons purely of aesthetics and pragmatism, I'm thinking of moving on. The thing is, I love the sound of it and am really nervous about swapping it out for something else, but I really need to reduce cables and boxes, so I'm after suggestions for a decent, one box solution up to about £1k. As many of you people will know the Phono's presentation characteristics I'd be very interested if anyone could suggest a one-box alternative that might put as much of a smile on my face. It'll be partnered with a Rega Planar 6 currently sporting a Goldring Excel GS.

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Re: New £1k Phono Stage - recommendations

Unread post by Daniel Quinn »

Let me know if you find anything better. I'd be interested to know.

And better, I'm mean really better, not marzipan instead of chocolate.
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Lindsayt (Tue Jun 16, 2020 2:58 am)

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zebbo
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Re: New £1k Phono Stage - recommendations

Unread post by zebbo »

Daniel Quinn wrote: Mon Jun 15, 2020 8:14 pm Let me know if you find anything better. I'd be interested to know.

And better, I'm mean really better, not marzipan instead of chocolate.
Ditto
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Lindsayt (Tue Jun 16, 2020 2:58 am)
Audio Grail "Sable" Garrard 401 with Cumbrian Green Slate plinth / Audiomods 6 / Benz Micro Gullwing SLR, Phono 2, NVA INT400sa. (Oh and a Copland CDA823 CD Player, for when I fancy a bit of the devil's spawn!) :lol:

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Re: New £1k Phono Stage - recommendations

Unread post by Lindsayt »

The NVA phono stage won the phono stage bake-off that I attended. It sounded better than some phono stages that cost considerably more.

You'd be better off changing your turntable away from that boring belt drive.

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Re: New £1k Phono Stage - recommendations

Unread post by antonio66 »

I really like my Phono 2 but I do understand the need to reduce box count. I have never heard on but Tron always get very good reports.
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Berty bass (Tue Jun 16, 2020 9:49 am)

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Re: New £1k Phono Stage - recommendations

Unread post by Berty bass »

Daniel Quinn wrote: Mon Jun 15, 2020 8:14 pm Let me know if you find anything better. I'd be interested to know.

And better, I'm mean really better, not marzipan instead of chocolate.
I was rather hoping someone here might be able to point me in the right direction seeing as I'll have limited opportunity to trial anything before I purchase. I love the Phono 2 and I have no great expectation that anyone is going to pull a rabbit out of the hat for me but I'm hoping perhaps a smaller, maybe British, supplier who someone has had a good experience with might crop up on the radar.

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Re: New £1k Phono Stage - recommendations

Unread post by Lindsayt »

antonio66 wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2020 5:58 am I really like my Phono 2 but I do understand the need to reduce box count. I have never heard on but Tron always get very good reports.
There was a Tron at the phono stage bake-off.

The owner reported that he had modified it after buying it and that his modifications had improved the sound.
Even after the modifications, it sounded too lush. Too lush as in a not particularly good valvey sound.

Good valve amplification should be transparent, especially in the midrange.
The Tron wasn't transparent.

It's the type of valvey sound that the Tron has that leads arch objectivists, or arch solid state types to say "You just like the sound of pleasant distortion if you like valve amplification."

I'd take an NVA Phono 1 over the Tron (and bear in mind that the Phono 2 sounds better than the Phono 1).

I have no idea why Tron phono stages get good reports.

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Re: New £1k Phono Stage - recommendations

Unread post by savvypaul »

You could have longer umbilicals fitted to your P2 to aid placement.

When we relaunch the phono stages, we are looking at a single power supply box with 2 x 120va transformers - this will effectively give you the specification of the old P2 with second supply but in 2 boxes instead of 3.

For those looking for fewer boxes, the A60+ is excellent. We will also be reintroducing integrated amplifiers next year.

There are some phono stage bake-off write-ups in the archives.
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Lindsayt (Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:20 am) • Berty bass (Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:20 am)
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Berty bass
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Re: New £1k Phono Stage - recommendations

Unread post by Berty bass »

savvypaul wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:18 am You could have longer umbilicals fitted to your P2 to aid placement.

When we relaunch the phono stages, we are looking at a single power supply box with 2 x 120va transformers - this will effectively give you the specification of the old P2 with second supply but in 2 boxes instead of 3.

For those looking for fewer boxes, the A60+ is excellent. We will also be reintroducing integrated amplifiers next year.

There are some phono stage bake-off write-ups in the archives.
Thanks Savvy, I'll trawl the archives later.
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savvypaul (Tue Jun 16, 2020 3:10 pm)

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Re: New £1k Phono Stage - recommendations

Unread post by Hannes-Gregor »

Didn't listen to something better than the Phono 2 till now.
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Lindsayt (Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:30 pm)

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