[mick wolfe]

Shindo Aurieges MM /A23 SUT.  Previous to that, a CJ Premiere 3 used as a phono section only via the tape outs. Noisier than the Aurieges, but from a pure musical enjoyment standpoint, they're both winners. Bottom line is that I think there's some wonderful phono stages out there "buried" in many of the full function pre-amps from the 70's and 80's. Remembering that the phono stage was the main design parameter in pre-amps of that era. Fortunately most of these have tape outs for a quick audition as well.

[Grinnell]

Hagerman Cornet II   Bottlehead Seduction, Wright WPP 200C

[GregC]

My ModWright PH 9.0
Great tube phono. 

+1

+2

[Dagoods]

I love my Wright Sound tube phono preamp. Mr. Wright was a small manufacture located in the Pacific NW. He passed on a number of years back.

 

I have the Wright Sound phono stage as well and will never part with it. Have the low output MC module and Amperex Bugle Boy's. Your the only other person I have heard of that has one. Very rare and hard to come by.

[krustykat]

The K&K "Maxxed Out" phono pre is a jfet/triode tube hybrid employing amorphous core, LL1674 Lundahl transformers for MM duty. For MC step up, it employs another pair of amorphous core LL1931 Lundahl's for 64 db of gain.

I'd have to agree with  Dieterle Tool, I've had my K&K Maxxed Out phono pre for many years with no urge to change.  I have the optional silver LL1647 SUTs and it just sounds right.

[BobM]

I think a good question to accompany this is "What else have you heard in direct comparison against the one you are recommending?" I bet everyone recommends the one they own and like, which is OK, but a comparison between them is definitely more helpful. How else can you say which one does something better then the other. Manley, CJ, Hagerman, AR, K&K, Write, all make great phono stages but each does something a little different. It's those subtleties that will become important to you in your system, of course.

But then again, you will likely be happy with any of them, as long as you haven't listened to one vs another side by side.

[shakey]

Emotive Audio Epifania.

[RPM123]

The one I have...a Luxman EQ500. It is absolutely the quietest phono stage I have ever owned owned and also sounds better! I have lived in several places over the years and there was always an issue with phono hum when cranking up the volume, no matter what I tried. I think one "secret" of the Luxman's quietness is that the IEC inlet has no ground with only 2 prongs. I have tried using cheater plugs with the other phono stages and it didn't do much.

Other phono stages I have owned are; the battery powered Sutherlnd PhD, Herron Vtph-2, and Tavish Audio Design Adagio.  The EQ500 has out performed them all and is my (dare I say it?)..."end game" phono stage!

I'm sure there are other even better performing phono stages (for more money), but I am tired of being on the upgrade path!

[Fuse]

I only know one tube phono pre, and it is....a cheap Chinese clone of the EAR 834 preamp.

I traded some unused Axiom speakers that I got for free, so it cost me nothing.

While there is the faintest bit more noise than my Benz Micro Lukaschek preamp, I like the clone much better (using it with a K & K Basic SUT and NOS Denon DL-300 cartridge).  I wanted an all-tube signal chain for my vinyl, and now that I have it, I am overjoyed.

I wish I could audition a better tube phono pre, but these times make it kind of difficult for such endeavours.

Anyhow, for those on a really low budget, I recommend one of these EAR 834 clones. Mine is by "Zero Zone", FWIW.

[jtsnead]

Modwright PH9.0X outstanding

[nd4speed]

NVO-SPA II was exceptional.

[SteveFord]

I got to thinking the Jolida JD-9 might be the weakest link in the big system so should have this old bruiser in the my hands next week:
conrad-johnson EV-1

Sexy Black Box


Guts

[thomas collins]

Coincident pre-amp for SET system

[TABARD]

Had a couple on Tube Pre's. The best available at present at any price is the Pass B1 Korg designed by Nelson Pass & available in kit form through DIYaudio. Occasionally comes up as a S/H item for around $300 to $500, I now have 2.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiJypbsndPzAhWYzjgGHZDFDIAQFnoECCYQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2F6moons.com%2Faudioreviews2%2Ffirstwatt4%2F1.html&usg=AOvVaw1EJxc-Z2DiqYyWEAcfQ2FG

Cheers

[thomas collins]

Since I reread and saw it was phono-pre, I use the Cary 302 Mk 2 with NOS RCA black plate 6sn7s.  It is more neutral and balanced then most Cary gear which tends to be sweet.  It is also adjustable for loading and uses Lundahl Transformers for the MC gain stage.  Previously had a Nova 2 and a Doge 8 Preamp with phono stage using an SUT for MC gain.  All are good in their way, but I think I like the Cary best so far.

[garyalex]

Cary SLP-05

I just realized you were asking about phono preamps.  For me it's the EAR 834P.

[Prisoner]

Manley Chinook,

Agreed.  Manley Chinook--for the money.  Hard for me to ever sell it!

[Huang]

I have an ARC SP11 that was in storage for 20 years so it is almost as new. It is so revealing and does just what a Pre should... gets out of the way of the music. The  down sides I would say are the lack of remote, the warmup time, and the inability to easily improve the power cord. I am thinking of upgrading the fuses though.

[sabocat]

I’m very happy with my Vista Audio phono 2. I have it hooked up to a Thorens td125 mkii, with a new dynavector 10x5 low output mc. Microzotl2 for the line stage and Omega speakers. A little Lance Cochrane EL84 tube amp pushes the speakers.

[mav52]

This one