1. Home
  2. analog
  3. 141977-67533

Help me decide on phono preamp

I have enjoyed my current setup but have decided to try a seperate phono preamp to see what improvements in sq can be had. I have two options I can purchase locally in mind based on my current budget :

Musical Surroundings Nova Phonomena ($400 used)

Lehmann Black Cube SE ll ($600 used)

My current setup is a Music Hall MMF 9.1 TT with a Clearaudio Maestro V2 cartridge playing through the built in MM/MC phono preamp in my Marantz PM - 11S3 integrated amp. 

Any opinions on either of these options?  The built in preamp has excellent reviews. Will either of these alternatives make a material difference or do I need to significantly increase my budget to have a real inpact?

Thanks
sjtm
sjtm OP
79 posts
 
Agrippa - you are certainly correct it would help to define what is missing. If pressed, I would say “not much”, however my perception is limited by my experience. I am hoping to benefit from others whose experience is much more extensive than mine to help me prevent a false expectation. 

Like most system upgrades, the impact is limited by the rest of the components. I just upgraded my speakers and, while a casual listener would probably think there was no difference, I can hear a meaningful improvement in  SQ. 

A major outlay to upgrade the phono preamp may no be warranted without other significant component upgrades which I have no desire to do now. I was hoping someone would say “spend $1500 for a used Angel’s Breath Magnificator Preamp and your life will change”.  I have experienced 3 upgrades so far that were material ( amp, cartridge, speakers) and thought I might find a fourth here.

open to any suggestions.  

stevecham
3,298 posts
 
Also recently purchased a Schiit Mani. Great phono stage that will give a run at preamps in the under $1000 range. Tremendous spacial dynamics and frequency response. Very anti-fatiguing. A gem. Synergistic with Nagaoka cartridges.
tablejockey
743 posts
 
Another vote for the $129 Schiit Mani.

Used one as a backup while my $2500 unit was being serviced. 

Smart buying used. Find something less than half retail.
Only concern buying used is no warranty. 

Your max stretched a little, something like a tubed Manley Chinook can be found. Subjectively, tubes offer a more convincing presentation.

As mentioned earlier, the Mani is competent against other higher  priced SS units. 

With the Mani AND savings, you can try a different cart such as an entry level MC cart. 
sjtm OP
79 posts
 
I have read a little about the Chinook and a couple of other tube preamps (Allnic) but not clear how much influence tube preamp will have when ahead of a SS integrated. 

Another candidate I have considered but is fairly new to the market is the Parasound JC3 Jr - the little brother to the well regarded JC3+. Not sure what is given up with the JR but new price is $1,500.

any thoughts on the tube question or the Parasound options? 
big_greg
315 posts
 
The Manley Chinook is what I use in my main system.  I haven't done an A/B comparison of the Chinook and the Nova Phonomena, so can't speak to a direct comparison between the two, but the best way I can describe the Chinook is that it is more "musical", there's more information and it draws you into the music in a way that the Phonomena doesn't.  The Phonomena is very neutral and quiet, but there's just "more" with the Chinook. 

I'm using the Chinook in an all tube system with a Music Hall MMF-7.1 turntable with a Van Den Hul MC Two cartridge. 

I've used Jolida JD-9 tubed phono stages in systems with solid state amps and they are complementary. 

Many people say that using a combination of SS amps and tubed preamps offer some of the best of both, the control and accuracy of solid state with some of the added "color" you get from tubes. 

I have a few Marantz components and they are all very "polite", detailed, but a little laid back.  I don't know what your piece sounds like, but if it is typical of the Marantz "house" sound, the Chinook might be a little more dynamic and colorful than the phono pre in the Marantz.  I have a hard time imagining that the included phono stage in the Marantz would be better than the Chinook.

The Jolida JD9 is a nice phono stage but when I replaced it with the Chinook it was a pretty dramatic improvement.
More to discover