This is a great thread because I have been wrestling with a phono stage upgrade. I have an Aesthetix Janus Eclipse, with has the Rhea phono built in. The tube rush makes me crazy so I’ve considered going SS to take that out of the equation. It’s interesting that other Rhea owners experience the same issue. Misery loves company. I’ve been sort of locked-in on Herron or Sutherland. The comments are really helping me. Great post. Good luck.
How much difference will a phono stage upgrade make?
For the past couple of years I’ve slowly been upgrading my audio equipment. I currently have a Primaluna Dialogue Premium HP integrated amplifier, an EAT C-Sharp TT with an Ortofon Quintet Black MC cartridge, and Tannoy Revolution XT 8F speakers. The weak link at this point, it would seem, is my phono stage, which is a Pro-Ject Tube Box DS. All things considered, my system sounds really good to my ears, but I can’t help but wonder what a phono stage upgrade would bring to the table. I’m looking at the Manley Chinook Special Edition MK II, which is a big step up in terms of cost, but I wonder how much better it will actually sound. Has anybody made a similar upgrade, and was there a marked uptick in sound quality?