Phono stage for Benz Wood H2


Hi there,

I have a Benz woodbody H2 that I have mounted to a VPI Scout and was wondering what anyone thought would be an appropriate phono stage to matchup with this cart that wouldnt break the bank. Currently I have a NAD PP-2 that I am sure isnt doing this tt/cart combo any justice. Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks!
abruceaudino
I have two EAR 834P deluxes that I use with either a Lyra Helikon or a Shelter 501 mk2; one on the large solid state system and one for the smaller tube system, and they don't have me feeling for a minute that I should upgrade. These really are exceptional value phono stages, albeit with no impedance or capacitance adjustments. Warmth, dynamic range, quiet, top to bottom coverage.
The new battery powered Musical surroundings Nova Phonomena is great for $1K, a bit under the price of the EAR.
Thanks for the suggestions. I will probably look for something on the marketplace here. Any suggestions around the $500 used range? I read somewhere that Cary makes a good pre to match the Benz Hi-Output MC.
It's called the PH 1 DJH under their Audio Electronics brand. It has 36 dB of gain so you might need to be a bit forgiving of noise with the Benz which has a 2.5mV output at 3.54@cm/sec. Not a bad choice though.