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Help Selecting a Good Tube Phono Stage?

Hello,

I need some help deciding on an economical tube phono stage for my system. It must be reasonably priced as my wife and I are cooking a baby in the oven. My system consists of a JVC QLY-66F turntable, a Uwe body Denon DL-103R cartridge, a pair of nice Bogen MO100A tube monoblocks, and a vintage pair of Klipsch Cornwall speakers. A nice tube Pre-amp would be nice too but I am thinking that purchasing a phono stage will be more economical. Besides, this is my vinyl only system and a full pre-amp is not required. I do have a Bob's Decices cinemag step-up transformer if needed, but will sell if my new phonostage is flexible enough to use with both MC and MM cartridges.

Thanks in advance for any input.
thebclshow
stew3859's avatar
stew3859
119 posts
 
"Economical"is a relative term. You might want to suggest a budget.
macdadtexas
1,794 posts
 
I was looking for another tube phono stage, at some fairly pricey ones too, and I bought a PS Audio GCPH as a stop gap while I looked, and you know what? I kept the PS Audio, it's a modded one from Parts Connexion, but the standard one sounds great. Just a thought.
riley804
628 posts
 
Would second the PS Audio GCPH.....
grinnell
661 posts
 
$350 or so will get you a Pro-ject Tube Box SE or II.
Yes i have one for sale at AA but there is another one there cheaper than mine :)

I liked the sound and swapping tubes gives you some change.
if you want to spend around that but want a much better phono stage get a Bottlehead Seduction kit with the CS4 upgrade. Pretty much just a MM stage but the sound is so sweet. Its clean and sweet.

I just got a Wright PP200c and it is even more tube sounding than the Seduction.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
I was also going to suggest the Wright WPP200C. You should be aware that this phono requires RCA loading plugs to properly load the impedance, and sound its best, with MC cartridges.
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