Fortunately, or not, I have had some of the finest phono stages available in my system over the past few years. Here is a snapshot of my perceptions of each phono stage.
Nagra PL-P
build quality 9/10
useability/flexibility 8/10
sound 8/10 fast, clean, no-glare. however, to my ears, the sound was a bit too thin and not enough dynamic weight for my taste. that said, when I had the Nagra, my system was not as advanced as it is has been recently. So, a re-listening of the Nagra would be a more fair treatment.
Aesthetix IO
build quality 8/10
usability/flexibility 7/10
sound 8/10 extremenly dynamic, very full lifelike dynamic swings, very convincing dynamics. georgeous tonality, although a bit warm, but certainly welcomed to my ears. Downside is the noise, as this tube-heavy phono stage is too noisy. After talking with a few IO owners, I understand that the noise can be significantly reduced by using better tubes and by using Albert Porters cables that connect the power supply to the main unit. I have not had a chance to validate this information, just passing along. All this said, the finest system I have heard to date was driven by an IO and a Callisto.
ASR Basis Exclusive
Build Quality 8/10 (I dont care for the plastic-like body, as I prefer metal. Just a personal preference)
usability/flexibility 10/10
sound 9/10 Excellent dynamics, transparency, no glare, easy to listen to, nice soundstage and imaging. Really, no complaints at all. This is my 2nd favorite phono stage to date. And for the price and EXCELLENT support you get from ASR, it is a bargain.
Boulder 2008
build quality 10/10
flexibility 11/10
sound 9/10 Its hard to really criticize this unit, albiet a very expensive unit, with the exception of noise. The stated and measure S/N ration was about 46-48db, which for $32k USD, unacceptable. I really could never come to grips with the high noise issue. Otherwise, its wonderful.
Lyra Connoisseur 4.2P SE
build quality 11/10
flexibility 0/10
sound 11/10 By far and away, the Connoisseur phono and line stages are THE BEST I have had in my system. Hand down, the best in all categories. I could go on and on, but there is no need. Compared to all the excellent phono stages I have listed above, the Connoisseur is just plain and simple, the best. My only misgiving is the lack of flexibility with regards to changing cartidge load. You get only 1 choice which is hard wired resistor installed at the factory. That said, my Connoisseur came with a 10k load. My cartidge called for a 100 ohm load. I thought this would be a problem. Not at all. Still the best phono and line stages available. Hands down.
If you want more specific info, please don't hesitate to email me at banpuku@yahoo.com.
