Is Pass Labs Xono An Overkill For Rega P5 TT?

If you're open to the idea that a lower cost phono may actually sound better than the Xono, then look into a Heed Quasar. $999 new. It has excellent flexibility (although nothing I've ever auditiond has the vast flexibility options of the Xono), and in my system, when used with a Dynavector XX MK II, the Quasar was much more dynamic and "alive" than the Xono...while still remaining tonally balanced.

I was able to audition a Quasar for two weeks through Blackbird Audio Gallery in Southern California.

Thanks for the recommendation Tvad. Results can sometimes be unpredictable in that a lower cost phono can outperform a much costlier and reputable unit like the Xono. I guess matching does play a part sometimes. This unit from a Hungarian outfit does look quite promising. Will keep my options open.

It is by no means overkill. You have a table and cart capable of great performance. You should have a phono stage that allows you to fully experience it.

That said, the XONO may expose weaknesses downstream...

Cheers

Some on these forums consider the phono stage to be THE most important component in an analog front end. There is a thread on this very topic. I have an Xono and find it to be very neutral, quiet, flexible, and extremely reliable. On the used market, it is a quite good value. You should try to audition it first and experiment with the many loading options. The single-ended output sounds better than the balanced output.