Celebration vs Blackbird

My mistake, the tracking was mentioned in Absolute Sound!

Dear Alun: I don't know nothing about your phonopreamp, so I can't tell you if it is true that the MM stage is better than the MC stage on it, other than if the MC stage use internal step up transformers then it is better if you go for the blackbird.

The Celebration is a better quality sound performer with the right gain ( with out external/internal SUT ) phonopreamp and I never had any tracking problem with it in any record.

Now, in my opinion, the phonopreamp is the most important link on an analog rig, if you want to take out the best of your analog rig you have to put your money in the best phonopreamp that you can buy on your budget. You will be rewarded if you do so.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

I don't believe that the sfp-1 uses transformers. I think it adds a FET stage to apply gain.
I've used this pre for a couple of years now in MC mode with my Benz Gold and I don't really notice any tube noise or distortion so it could be that the signature version (which I have) is a much better performer than the standard version.
Thank you for your response Raul, always a pleasure to hear your opinion, but I am having trouble believing that the phono stage is the MOST important piece in phono playback. I can't say however if there is a most important piece in the phono chain as they all seem to support each other. An excellent phono stage will not help a poor cartridge IMO.
Cheers!

Just FYI I just got the PS Audio GCPH gain cell phono stage and it is excellent, and reasonably priced, and can be audiotion for 30 days in home. Just burn it in first. search for inverse RIAA on the vinyl asylum - I have some files online for burning in phono stages.

Dear Alun: +++++ " An excellent phono stage will not help a poor cartridge " +++++

No it not help to the cartridge, it will help to you telling you that that cartridge is a poor performer, in a normal phonopreamp ( not an excellent one ) maybe you can't know that that cartridge is a poor performer because it have not the quality resolution for to " tell it ".

Some other time we can talk about: this is a critical subject in the anolog music sound reproduction and like I already post and in my experience the phonopreamp is the most important link in the analog reproduction, yes I know that every single link is important but the phonopreamp task is a very special and critical one.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.