Amp with a bit of excitement that includes MC phono

thewinelake.

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I've been listening to an old Audiolab 8000a driving ProAc Studio 125 speakers. The sound is a bit on the dull side and I reckon that both parties are to blame, but the Audiolab more so....

One of the reasons I've got the Audiolab is down to the MC phono input. What are my upgrade options for a more lively modern sound? Would want to spend no more than £500. Happy to go secondhand.

Obviously one option would be to get a power amp to add to the Audiolab - I'm not sure how much dullness is own to pre- and how most to power- stages in that box. One option that I saw on eBay was a Linn LK100 for £200. Not sure what difference that kind of thing might make....
 
thewinelake. said:
I've been listening to an old Audiolab 8000a driving ProAc Studio 125 speakers. The sound is a bit on the dull side and I reckon that both parties are to blame, but the Audiolab more so....

One of the reasons I've got the Audiolab is down to the MC phono input. What are my upgrade options for a more lively modern sound? Would want to spend no more than £500. Happy to go secondhand.

Obviously one option would be to get a power amp to add to the Audiolab - I'm not sure how much dullness is own to pre- and how most to power- stages in that box. One option that I saw on eBay was a Linn LK100 for £200. Not sure what difference that kind of thing might make....

Depends on your budget. My Leema has a switchable phono stage built in, and it has the uncanny knack of marrying excitement with emotion. The only problem is they don't come up very often on auction sites, or if you stretch your budget a bit more then Leema Elements falls into that catagory.

Or perhaps Cyrus 8XP with an external phono stage.
 

lpv

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I would check latest WHF reviews and look for talented ampifiers.. leema pulse back in 2008 was talented and appealing..
 

thewinelake.

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Ah, are you suggesting a Myryad?

Like this one? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/182227233845?lpid=122&chn=ps&adgroupid=13585920426&rlsatarget=pla-75952154106&adtype=pla&poi=&googleloc=1006914&device=c&campaignid=207297426&crdt=0
 
thewinelake. said:

IIRC the Myryad was reviewed back in 2005

Problem is the amps with built-in phono stages, especially MC, are few and far between at reasonable money.

I've had my Pulse for six years and woulsn't change it for anything below £2500 mark. because it was first made in 2008 it doesn't make it a bad amp in 2016. Quality components always remain quality.

I was right about the Myriad amp.
 
plastic penguin said:
thewinelake. said:

IIRC the Myryad was reviewed back in 2005

Problem is the amps with built-in phono stages, especially MC, are few and far between at reasonable money.

I've had my Pulse for six years and woulsn't change it for anything below £2500 mark. because it was first made in 2008 it doesn't make it a bad amp in 2016. Quality components always remain quality.

I was right about the Myriad amp.

Personally on a lowish budget I would forget about an inbuilt MC stage, as they are never very good and will not handle low output MCs, and buy a dedicated external phono preamp or even switch to a decent moving magnet. What cart do you have?
 

thewinelake.

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I think I may be going active, with a pair of AVI ADM9rs. Phono stage will have to be separate.

In term of the cart, it's an Audio Technica ATF3OCC.
 

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