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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?
12hz
chakster's avatar
chakster
2,482 posts
 
 You'll see that Kevin Deal highly recommends the Chinook with the Primaluna as a good match.

Kevin Deal is a tube dealer, what else he can recommend? 
He also a dealer of Manley Lab. gear. 

Gold Note PH-10 is a new generation of SS phono stages
JLTi is also superb SS phono stage for MM/MC 
both very reasonably priced

 
mmai
15 posts
 
papafrgog, sorry I misinformed you. The tubes that Aesthetix sold me were JJs, not Sovteks.

Regardless, the replacement Gold Lion B759s are working wonderfully for me.
tangramca
32 posts
 
I would consider the iPhono II. I have one but recently upgraded to the Allnic H1201. Head to head, the differences were more subtle than expected (although the Allnic was green). The iPhono provides tremendous performance in a small package withlots of flexibility.
12hz OP
13 posts
 
Thanks everyone for a lively discussion and lots of useful feedback. I pulled the trigger yesterday on the Manley Chinook Special Edition MK II, so I’ll be up and running with a new phono stage this weekend sometime if all goes as planned. 
bpoletti
1,004 posts
 
Decent selection.  Nice musical phono stage.  It should serve you well for years without a big desire for an upgrade.  Not a big number of phono stages that are better.  
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