ARC SP8 as Phono Stage

The SP8 has an MM phono stage. It is not meant to be used for MCs. If you do not have enough gain on the input of the LS-17 from the SP-8's tape outputs, then get a phono stage that is appropriate for your cartridge. DO NOT use the preamp outputs or you have all of the SP-8 line stage circuitry as noted above. The SP-8 along with the SP-10 had horrible line stage performance.

The SP-8 is a great product but has limited usage. You can easily sell it and get a PH1, PH2, PH3 or PH3SE for the SP-8 price or even less! And your problem of gain will be solved and ultimately far better results.

There are other ARC line stages, most notably the LS5 and LS25 Mk I, that sell for much less than the LS17 and would significantly destroy the LS17 in musical performance. Give these consideration as well if you want to stay in the ARC domain.

Stanwal,

The LS17 has only 12db of gain through SE and 18db through balanced. Again it would depend on the cartridge's output.

I agree that a standalone phono stage would be the way to go.

Hi,
I would not say that the SP8 and SP10 had "horrible line stage performance". More recent preamplifiers can be more transparent and better sounding, but one great system I heard included a Meridian CD player, an SP8, and Electrocompaniet amplifier and Quad ESL63 speakers. Surely not a system for rock, heavy metal or loud listening, but it sounded fantastic with acoustic, jazz and classical music.
Although I do not have it anymore, my SP10 also sounded very good with CDs.

Re SP10II line stage and assumedly the SP8 as well. I was able to do some A/B of the line stage with a passive line stage as well as another less pretentious tube line stage. With the passive line stage, as well as the lesser tube line stage, the imaging was slightly smaller, less dynamic, BUT more focused (better resolution) and with more apparent 'depth of image' but with slightly less height and width. Sort of a trade off. If optimum pin point imaging, especially depth of image which accompanies a high degree of resolution, is not a big deal then the SP10 is a great pre-amp with an excellent phono stage. Sort of like comparing the sound of large panel speakers to high res box speakers. Courses for horses I think.

Re Jafox's comments, consider he has a history with ARC products behind his observations, and he has posted his opinions often, however these observations on the SP10 are IMHO more specific to the relative quality compared to his other ARC products which he feels greatly improved on what was originally a SOTA pre-amp.

They (SP10s) are what they are, but they are by no means horrible. That is just attention grabbing hyperbole, IMHO.

Newbee couldn't agree more. The SP-8 and SP-10 are decades old products and in it's day the SP-10 was considered SOTA. The SP-10 had an awesome phono stage in it, much better then the SP-8, whose phono stage was almost identical to the SP-6 series consisting of 2 12AX7's and a 12AX7 cathode follower (buffer). BTW that was the same circuit as the Marantz 7 and the McIntosh C-22. The SP-10's line stage was good but nothing special. When it was designed, the focus of the SP-10 was it's phono stage. It also had plenty of gain, and could be very quiet provided it's supplied with low noise tubes. Dampers were a must due to the gain of the circuit.