Manley 300B or Manley Steelhead

The steelhead does have nice reputation for being one of the finest phono stages on its price range.
Dynamics and soundstage are its strengths.

Just breaking in my new Steelhead and loving it more by the day! But I prefer my Mac C2300 as a preamp into my MC501 amps. More open and refined. But, of course, its a synergy thing.

The line input is one of my favorite features of the Steelhead. I'm running a Weiss DAC1 directly into the line stage which renders some of the most seductive digital audio I've ever heard. As if it didn't already have enough variations for the phono stage, if you run the phono fixed out into the line in, you get a bump up in transparency and low end slam. The difference compared to the variable output is not small and I suspect the var-out has greater hi/low roll off. This creates an entirely different set of variables depending on the cables you use.

But to answer your question, the line stage is spectacular.

The line input is one of my favorite features of the Steelhead. I'm running a Weiss DAC1 directly into the line stage which renders some of the most seductive digital audio I've ever heard. As if it didn't already have enough variations for the phono stage, if you run the phono fixed out into the line in, you get a bump up in transparency and low end slam. The difference compared to the variable output is not small and I suspect the vari-out has greater hi/low roll off. This creates an entirely different set of variables depending on the cables you use.

But to answer your question, the line stage is spectacular.

I have wondered how the Manley 300b preamp would sound with my Neoclassic 300b amps too. Seems like it would be a wonderful pairing. Be sure to give us your thoughts on whatever you end up purchasing!