Superman wrote:Thank you, sir! You're one of the SULSUL-tants!
And just by rolling the tubes, you can reach another level, I kid you not.
Moderator: jadis
Superman wrote:Thank you, sir! You're one of the SULSUL-tants!
muypogi wrote:Trying out my Minimax Phono with some EI 12Ax7 on the buffer stages i found on the phono stage of my recently restored Knight KG-250 amp. They "pop" when they first start up, like vintage Mullards do.
Also found to my surprise my center tube was not a Chines tube but likely a Telefunken installed at the factory . . .
Combo sounds pretty good so far along with a previous installed NOS rectifier tube. Very airy and detailed . . .
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TheAnalogSource wrote:our beloved minimax has just been kicked ass haha we should ask for a rematch with the 803s in it hehe
Mamimili wrote:There seems to be a lot of interest in phono stages recently, what exactly makes a phono stage "good"?
Not a troll but a genuine question as its something i am trying to understand better. Because i think i need to modify or replace mine and do not know if i should go with fixed loading or switchable loading (MM only, resistance and capacitance switching)
jadis wrote:Mamimili wrote:There seems to be a lot of interest in phono stages recently, what exactly makes a phono stage "good"?
Not a troll but a genuine question as its something i am trying to understand better. Because i think i need to modify or replace mine and do not know if i should go with fixed loading or switchable loading (MM only, resistance and capacitance switching)
Well, Paul, it's actually a good question, and not that really easy to answer.
In my own experience, I judge a good phono stage with its tonal character. I want my overall sound to be 'body-ful'. In short, Coke regular, not Diet Coke or Coke Zero. I want to hear emotion when a vocalist sing. I want to feel what she feels. I also do not go for a lean sound with highs that can go to infinity or lows that are boosted and boomy. Actually, we all seek much of the same qualities in key components like amps, preamps and sources. So to add to more good traits of a phono stage, the gain should be enough to handle medium to low MC cartridges, otherwise, there will be noise when pushed to the max limit. A good phono stage should also exhibit great soundstage, and for example, my old ARC Ph3 excels in that area - wide and deep with excellent layering and separation of instruments. And another concern and quite an important one is the price point of the phono stage, again, just like in other components, there is a price which we are willing to pay vis-a-vis its performance.
Mamimili wrote:jadis wrote:Mamimili wrote:There seems to be a lot of interest in phono stages recently, what exactly makes a phono stage "good"?
Not a troll but a genuine question as its something i am trying to understand better. Because i think i need to modify or replace mine and do not know if i should go with fixed loading or switchable loading (MM only, resistance and capacitance switching)
Well, Paul, it's actually a good question, and not that really easy to answer.
In my own experience, I judge a good phono stage with its tonal character. I want my overall sound to be 'body-ful'. In short, Coke regular, not Diet Coke or Coke Zero. I want to hear emotion when a vocalist sing. I want to feel what she feels. I also do not go for a lean sound with highs that can go to infinity or lows that are boosted and boomy. Actually, we all seek much of the same qualities in key components like amps, preamps and sources. So to add to more good traits of a phono stage, the gain should be enough to handle medium to low MC cartridges, otherwise, there will be noise when pushed to the max limit. A good phono stage should also exhibit great soundstage, and for example, my old ARC Ph3 excels in that area - wide and deep with excellent layering and separation of instruments. And another concern and quite an important one is the price point of the phono stage, again, just like in other components, there is a price which we are willing to pay vis-a-vis its performance.
Philip, thanks again.
To my ears i have the sound you describe and i certainly would not want to lose that.
Now i am a confirmed born again Decca Head i wonder if i can fine tune even more as people talk about changing resistors (a huge range from 12K up to 1 megOhm).
I look forward to the coming shoot-outs to learn more and will get my questions ready for a new thread, or my guru
TheAnalogSource wrote:i like them that can bring out the most detail from the cart. ill do the flavoring in the succeeding stages.
Mamimili wrote:I can eat better than i can cook!
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