[sanlanman]

If you are or have, can I get your opinion of it and what turntable and cartridge you use or used with it? TIA

[Airborn]

I have a Cambridge Audio 640p phono stage.  I've used it with a Goldring GR 1.2 w/ RB250 tonearm and Goldring electra cart as well as Dual 601 with Shure V15 III and AT 440 MLa cartridges.  I have only used the MM settings.  I find the 640p exactly as described, a very good bang for the buck, slightly warm side of neutral, budget phono stage.  I won't say its the last word in all the audiophile terms like clarity, detail, or soundstage width and depth, etc. but I doubt any rig that is usually hooked to a 640p can reveal any major deficiencies.  I can tell you it makes music sound natural, not artificial and it doesn't impose any problems or extra noise into the signal.  It also has a rumble filter, which I don't use much, but can help on noisy thrift store records.  An interesting comparison for me is with the built in phono section of my Mapletree Ultra 4A SE preamp.  As a tubed phono stage I think I slightly prefer the Mapletree, but the Cambridge 640p is very close and almost indistinguishable really from the Mapletree.  The 640p is well worth its <$180 price, imho.  Here is a review that sums it up pretty well:

http://www.tnt-audio.com/ampli/3_phono_preamps_e.html

[sanlanman]

Thanks Airborn, I wonder why there is no input impedance and capacitance info given on the 640P for cartridge and tonearm matching.

[ChairSpud]

I also use a 640P and agree with you Airborn that it sounds slightly on the warm side of neutral. I'd also add that the 640P has a surprisingly deep soundstage.

I've found the 640P sounds more neutral when used with slightly brighter sounding turntables and cartridges, although lately I've been listening to a Grado Gold on a Technics SL-1210 and it sounds very satisfying.

Compared to the Hagerman Bugle, The 640P is slightly darker, resolves a bit less detail, has a much deeper soundstage, sounds more musical and conveys more emotion.

I just looked in the manual and see no figures for impedance and capacitance, I find that curious too.

Dave

[sanlanman]

I am considering pairing this 640P phono preamp with my old but well preserved Pioneer Series 20 PLC-590 table and PA 1000 carbon fiber arm, and a new cartridge, ( yet to be decided ). Speakers are currently NHT super ones with an HSU VTF3 sub. I am thinking seriouly of replacing the NHTs with something built by Salk Sound. Electronics are temporarily a Yamaha HT reciever, but will get replaced by better quality seperates in the not too distant future.

Currently the PLC-590 table has an original AT OC9 LOMC cartridge in it that was amplified fine by the MC phono preamp of the RGR model 4 preamp that used to be in the main system. The Yamaha has only a MM input, so I want a great bang for the buck MC phono preamp to use with the AT OC9 until I decide and get a replacement cartridge.

Any futher suggestions would be appreciated.

[Nels Ferre]

I had a Cambridge 640P for a while. I purchased it as a "hold over" until I could find the time to complete a kit tubed phono stage (which is still not finished.)  It was OK, until all of the caps in the power supply decided to leak.

A better choice, in my opinion, is the Pro-Ject Phono Box II- highly recommended.

Right now I am using the Phono Box II with a heavily modified Dynavector DV20XL cartridge- rebuilt by Peter at www.Sound-Smith.com. It has a ruby cantilever, a line contact stylus, and specially selected low mass coils. Output is low at .3 mV. The Pro-Ject has no trouble with the low output. For the money, you can't go wrong.

The modded Dyna is mounted to a modded Rega RB-250 arm, mounted on a SOTA Star Series III table.