Best Phono Stage within 2000 €

Sounds worth a listen. Does it have balanced inputs/outputs - there's scant detail on their website?

 

I suggest you to buy one of the Statement serie , the 0.5mv
If you like human voices , expecially female voices , and woodwinds you 'll find your best cartridge

 

ibr - there's not much at all on their website but I have been told they are having a new site built.

The MC REF has single ended inputs and unbal/ balanced outputs and lots of other switching which is accessed on the base.

Each unit is a single channel and is matched to within 0.xxdB of each other.

Well worth the money....if you can ever say that about audio!

 

thanks - I'll look into it further

 

Rob really interesting what you say abot the Ref Had the chance to get one but money was tight so could not. I have the 30DT which is where the ref was a few years back Uses a lot of the same parts but not as good as the ref

 

Phono Stage

Hi

If you looked about you might be able to pick up a Pass Labs Xono S/H for what you want to spend. Fantastic sound and all the internal set ups you could want 3 layers of gain both MC and MM loading ( a setting for every cart out there), balanced and RCA out (rca in only) you could want.

Slightly to the warm side of neutral and does sound a bit better using the balanced/xlr outs but still very much worth a punt.

Being in Italy the Pathos- In The Groove is also worth looking at. I just love their amps.

Regards D Louth 77

 

I maybe (should be) selling my Xono. It's TOO warm which really gets in the way of things, and certainly not up to the Ayre standard for resolution and absolutely nowhere near the PS.30R for anything!

I think the Xono is old in the tooth now...I have seen too many on the used market, I'll wait till it's quietened down out there before I get rid of mine.

 

Whereabouts are you Rob, I would very much like to hear your Walker and the new Whest Ref?

 

l can highly recommend the RCM Sensor IC phono, a solid state pre with exceptionally high gain (switchable) with MM/MC and selectable loading for cartridges. Killed my EAR 834p and bettered an Allnic and Aqvox phonos l compared it with.

Cheers,
mondie

 

Hi rob

HI RobM

Is your pass labs Xono the one with the matching box same as the Phono stage or is it the one with the plain black box ?

The reason I ask is that if its the one with the matching box and you want to sell yours ( at some point ). I would be interested in swapping my plain box psu for your better looking box + some cash. What do you think ? Purely a cosmetic thing as both psu's are the same just in a nicer box. I would like the PSU to match the phono box. I know I am sad. If not no problem.

Do you leave it/or did you leave it powered up as I found this made a big difference to sound and tonal balance its slightly leaner when left on,go figure. However it is a warmer sounding stage than many other solid state ones. That is probably why I like it as my other is a Bat vk 10 se valve phono stage.

Regards D Louth 77

 

The Xono has been a very good phono stage and since I have the Pass X1 it was easy for me to buy one .. many on Agon pre-owned market and thanks to Euro/USD cheapos too!
But I agree with RobM .. "it's old in a tooth now" and I wish to try something newer

 

DL77 - I'm not into swapping anything. I have a US model converted to Euro power. It's 2 matching boxes but the front panels are milled slightly differently to other units I've seen in europe.

The Xono sounds very 'dated', warm, lacks precision and its soundstage is limited in size, sounds a bit like a 'tricked' Naim phonstage (sorry all Naim users), and is just not capable to getting the best from newer MCs. My ZYX 4D sounded warm through it...and that's not a warm cartridge! I used to leave mine on all the time as I do with all my gear. All that turning on and off can't be good for the powersupply and associated components. My brother is using it at the moment until he gets what I have. If I were you I'd sell the Xono as there are loads around and get something that can keep up with modern day cartridges.

 

I am using the ps audio gcph with cullen mods (made by the designer they are similar too but more extensive than the underwood mods). it sounds pretty good and if you are single source you can do without a preamp which gives a huge improvement. I use with a balanced switch between that and my cdp which also has inbuilt volume control.

 

Pass

Hi RobM

I understand your not wanting to do a swap,fair enough.

As to your comments about the Pass. I will Pass on them and we shall agree to differ.

Just because its old does not make it poor. Nelson Pass is one of the most talented designers in Audio (solid state ) IMHO. The Xono is IMO a classic.

I also don't see how you can say that it will not suit modern carts. The Xono will allow adjustment of much more than many phono stages out there. Also bear in mind if you don't hook it up balanced you have not heard it fully.

Anyway I disagree, but you are entitled to your opinion and different experience. I will be holding on to mine.

Regards D Louth 77

 

DL77 - I certainly don't dispute Nelson's design skills, although the Xono was not designed by him, or the fact that just because anything is old it's unusable - my ATC active 150s are about 5 years old now. Just- when I have compared the Xono to more modern designs, it's not quite up there. I have used the Xono balanced on my LAMM and still thought the PS.30R was a lot better. I did find the balanced output on the Xono a bit better though. The fact that the Xono has the ability to configure load etc does not mean it can resolve the abilities of the top MC cartridges, it basically means it can accomodate the cartridge. If that were the case everybody out there would just go out and buy the Cambridge 640p.... but as both you and I know, there is NO WAY that the 640p comes anywhere near the Xono in any area.

 

Louth77 .. I'm sure here no one says the Xono is a bad sounding unit!
I agree with you it's a "Classic"
But don't forget it has been released during the 1999

http://passlabs.com/products.htm

... and lot of water has passed under the bridges* during 10 years!

Nowadays a Whest PS30R is going to become old compared to the new PS30RDT and it's only one year released unit!!
Year by year many super fine phono units of past are outclassed by cheapest new one .. and this is normal

I think RobM was trying to tell this to you ..

Gabriele

PS: this is a personal translation from a common Italian motto .. and I apologize if it doesn't work translated (lot of water has passed under the bridges) :JPS:

 

Walker and Whest

Rob Hi, whereabouts are you I would very much like to hear a Walker and whest REF? Or at least post some photos?

 

Coops - I live in 3 countries. Germany, the USA and the UK (when I have to). I'm not a fan of posting pics of my house or systems on the web for everyone to see. The Walker is in the USA, the HRX is in Germany and I have a Thorens TD550 in the UK.

Arlequen - The 30R and 30RDT are 2 separate products, I don't think the RDT is there to replace the R. Judging by the price difference, I think it's part of the range.

 

Wheast

I have never had the opportunity to hear a Whest anything, as the shop I used to work in had a major falling out with the UK distributor (Active Distribution),so the door on Whest was firmly closed. However I have read much about the designer most of it good to excellent. I look forward to hearing one in the future.

regards D Louth 77.

 

Hi Neil
Its worth hearing I think James (the designer) has moved the yardstick a bit further up the line, so worth hearing if you get the chance