keeper of the quays said:
Burnsie said:
I have recently bought myself a Project 2Xperience turntable and I am using a Project phono box through my Abrahamsen amp, I know its not the best phono stage but it was all I could afford at the time when i got the turntable. In the next few weeks I am planning to go and have a listen but having a look the choice is huge, could anyone point me in the right direction, my budget would be around £500 but hopefully I wouldn't have to spend that much.
Thanks in advance.
go Cambridge audio...their phono stages are stellar! Cheap too..usual Cambridge audio'you get a awful lot of electronics for your money' my 640p is great!
The Project phono stage you currently own should be perfectly adequate for most cheaper moving magnet cartridges which I assume your turntable is fitted.
Buying a new phono preamp on its own, therefore, is not the way to go in my opinion.
You will see (hear) bigger improvement by changing your cartridge if it is still the standard one normally fitted to your turntable and worry about phono preamp in the future.
For what it's worth I would agree with those already mentioned, in the order I would consider: Rothwell Rialto, Cambridge 651P, and completely leftfield the Jolida JD-9 II if you can ever find one. ;-) I have heard good things about the two-box Sugden A21SE Stage Two but haven't heard it myself.
However, better than all those is the Tom Evans Audio Microgroove X. This will take all of your budget new but they do crop up used sometimes.