MC Phono Stage Bake-off

[Classicrock]

I've now read all the comments here and elsewhere. I think in general very fair and looks like the winner is the NVA 2 in spite of Bigman pushing the Firebottle products up in his pecking order. Both Nick and Dave (MCRU) seem very impressed and in view of their experience that counts a lot. Always going to be some people who prefer the valve sound even if it is less accurate. Really need to have a similar bake off down south.

[Bigman80]

I've now read all the comments here and elsewhere. I think in general very fair and looks like the winner is the NVA 2 in spite of Bigman pushing the Firebottle products up in his pecking order. Both Nick and Dave (MCRU) seem very impressed and in view of their experience that counts a lot. Always going to be some people who prefer the valve sound even if it is less accurate. Really need to have a similar bake off down south.

I'm not pushing, I'm simply relaying my thoughts. The NVA 2 as I have said was fantastic and I was really impressed with it. You may be on to something with the valve thing though. I hadn't realized I kept plumping for valve stages until you said that. The Longdog JFET is valves too.

[Lindsayt]

...And it's not worth arguing about as you say, the masses when asked usually provide the right opinion so my summary alone is only part of the story. You, the doc, Nick and MCRU all chose the NVA over the FB stuff and that's out there now. And it was done in a neutral venue, with impartial listeners (Nick and Dave) that's what im respecting. Part of being impartial is seeing the other sides opinion and I can. Doesn't mean I don't think what I have written.

It was a good day, I enjoyed it, everyone was very knowledgeable and I got to hear £30k+ worth of gear!

In your opinion, am I an inpartial listener or not?

[CN211276]

It appears Bigmans evaluation and follow up posts have been removed from AoS.

[Lindsayt]

No, what I am saying is the Phono 2 was the best bang for buck IMO and I stated that in my original summary. That hasn't changed. I felt the KIN had an air and space that the Phono2 didn't have but I felt the best stage of the day other than MFA was the JFET. Did any of you actually read what I said? Feels a bit like you've all jumped down my throat without reading it. Maybe ranking them was an error. Anyway, doesn't change the fact my favourite was the JFET...

That's fair enough.

However I would say that your goal when it comes to hi-fi is different to mine. My goal for the last 15 years has been to put together a World Class system for the lowest cost.

My definition of a world class system is one that sounds around about, near as dammit, equally good, swings and roundabouts to any other system in the world - regardless of the price of these other systems.

If I heard 2 x phono amps at £700 and £1100 where I thought the £1100 one was better sounding, I'd buy the £1100 one . If there was a £2000 one that I prefered even more I'd either buy it straight away, or wait for a used one to become available for c£1200 or less.

In the meantime I'd also be looking for other phono stages that sounded at least as good as the £2000 one that cost less.


Anyway, that's my main objective when it comes to hi-fi.

What's your main objective when it comes to hi-fi, Bigman80?

[CN211276]

From the comments on Audio Talk, and the removal of posts on AoS, it appears that NVA won at every price category and above. My Phono 1 seems an absolute steel and perfectly fits the bill as vinyl is very much a secondary source. Bigmans comments about it, referring to a particular track, seem very odd. If there were any doubts about shilling on AoS, they have been removed now. Also notable that Arkless chickened out.

[Lindsayt]

I find the psycholgy around hi-fi, inparticular bake-offs more interesting than the equipment itself.

Post bake-off chat, is, in my opinion, similar to a few mates watching a football match and then going down the pub and chatting about it afterwards. They may or may not agree about the match. They may even get into raging arguments about it. But, at the end of the day, they should still be mates. It's only football, after all.

With bake-offs, it's only bloody hi-fi.


Edit, with football, you sometimes come across fans like jackbarron, who come out with such predictably blinkered rhetoric on football, eg http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/show ... p?t=204351 that pretty soon you realise that his opinions on football should not be taken seriously in any way. With someone like him, he can still be a mate, unless he starts coming out with personal insults against the other people in any debate on Chelsea.

[Bigman80]

It appears Bigmans evaluation and follow up posts have been removed from AoS.

Not by me! My summary is still there though

[Bigman80]

...And it's not worth arguing about as you say, the masses when asked usually provide the right opinion so my summary alone is only part of the story. You, the doc, Nick and MCRU all chose the NVA over the FB stuff and that's out there now. And it was done in a neutral venue, with impartial listeners (Nick and Dave) that's what im respecting. Part of being impartial is seeing the other sides opinion and I can. Doesn't mean I don't think what I have written.

It was a good day, I enjoyed it, everyone was very knowledgeable and I got to hear £30k+ worth of gear!

In your opinion, am I an inpartial listener or not?

Well, that depends entirely on what phonostage you own. I am biased due to owning Firebottle gear according to this forum

[Lindsayt]

I own an EMT 930 and an EMT 950. Oh, and the built in phono stage on the Akai AA-8080.

Now that you have that information, am I, in your opinion an inpartial listener or not?