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Thread: REVIEW - Arkless 640P MC/MM phonostage

  1. #1
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Yorkshire

    Posts: 9,302
    I'm Andrew.

    Default REVIEW - Arkless 640P MC/MM phonostage

    Arkless 640P MC/MM phonostage


    I've been in the market for a decent MM phonostage for some time. Now this is a little weird cos I actually own 3, I have a Sugden Masterclass phonostage with a MM output and both my ATC and Croft preamp's both have a MM stage fitted. I'd heard about Jez's work on the 640 years ago and decided I wanted to check out the hype. So, it arrived very well packaged alongside a couple of RCA plugs to change the MC stage loading characteristics. I should state that you will need a donor unit if you should like to purchase this phonostage. I plumbed the 640P into my Croft system and decided I'd try a few carts to see how the thing behaved. I tried a Denon 103M, a Shure V15 mk3, a Keotsu Black, and a Ortofon Silver Meister mk I SPU. All I can say is that is handled all of these carts without even breaking a sweat. I especially enjoyed throwing in my modded Lentek headamp with the Denon 103M and smiling from ear to ear at the sonics of the Presence album by Led Zeppelin. Good decent bass, excellent timing, a truly nice way to spend 20 minutes of my time. Next album was the latest offering from the Avashi Cohen Trio - From Darkness. This album is great to test a phonostage's ability to portray stringed instruments. Well I got a nice centered soundstage with a very well defined, full bodied cello slapped in front of me, plenty of timbre, no complaints from me here. I also decided to try a little heavy rock in the form of a Vertigo pressing of Black Sabbath's first album. The opening bell chimes and cymbal work from Bill Ward's drums sounded truly excellent and again straight in front of me. This phonostage cost's ( I think £255 + price of a donor unit ). You would honestly have to pay upwards of £1K to get something to equal it. It didn't better anything I had in my system but all I can say is that for the money it's untouchable for value for money. I personally think it works better with a head amp and I would heartily recommend anyone wanting to try a MC cartridge for the first time to put this phonostage very high up the list to trial and then think about using a head amp. So this piece of kit gets a big thumbs up from me.
    SS
    CD Teac VRDS25X(Audiotuned) DECK 1210 Mat Crystal Audio Mods MN Base/Bearing/Platter+Ebony armboard Feet Isonoe PSU Paul Hynes SR7EHD-27XL/DCSXL Ag DC lead/3 Stage Regs/Recap PCB+No Pitch/Strobe/Light ARM SME V(Kondo Ag Rewire&Tags) MC Cadenza Black FGS CABLES Arm Yannis SPD-4 IC Yannis 222 Litz+Ag bullets Power WAR PRE ATC SCA2 SPEAKERS ATC 50ASL STANDS Atacama PHONO Sugden Masterclass PA4 SUT Ortofon ST80SE POWER PSAudio P10

    VALVE
    PRE
    Croft Epoch(Modded) AMP Sondex S100 (Modded) SPEAKERS Tannoy 15"MG+RFC Warwick cabs+ Ref XO + Batpure supertweeters DECK Garrard 301 Mat Teunto Bearings 401(Bastin) Plinth Bamboo Arms 3009/3012 PSU Eagle+Tachometer MC Ag Meister II/FGS + Ortofon SPU MONO CABLES Arm Yannis 420.5 Litz+ SpeakerPC Tripple C+WBT-0681 Ag IC Oyaide FTVS-510 AgWBT 0110Ag Phonostages Paradise(4 Box Mega-Modded) / Croft Musicmaker



  2. #2
    Bigman80 Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by REXTON View Post
    Arkless 640P MC/MM phonostage


    I've been in the market for a decent MM phonostage for some time. Now this is a little weird cos I actually own 3, I have a Sugden Masterclass phonostage with a MM output and both my ATC and Croft preamp's both have a MM stage fitted. I'd heard about Jez's work on the 640 years ago and decided I wanted to check out the hype. So, it arrived very well packaged alongside a couple of RCA plugs to change the MC stage loading characteristics. I should state that you will need a donor unit if you should like to purchase this phonostage. I plumbed the 640P into my Croft system and decided I'd try a few carts to see how the thing behaved. I tried a Denon 103M, a Shure V15 mk3, a Keotsu Black, and a Ortofon Silver Meister mk I SPU. All I can say is that is handled all of these carts without even breaking a sweat. I especially enjoyed throwing in my modded Lentek headamp with the Denon 103M and smiling from ear to ear at the sonics of the Presence album by Led Zeppelin. Good decent bass, excellent timing, a truly nice way to spend 20 minutes of my time. Next album was the latest offering from the Avashi Cohen Trio - From Darkness. This album is great to test a phonostage's ability to portray stringed instruments. Well I got a nice centered soundstage with a very well defined, full bodied cello slapped in front of me, plenty of timbre, no complaints from me here. I also decided to try a little heavy rock in the form of a Vertigo pressing of Black Sabbath's first album. The opening bell chimes and cymbal work from Bill Ward's drums sounded truly excellent and again straight in front of me. This phonostage cost's ( I think £255 + price of a donor unit ). You would honestly have to pay upwards of £1K to get something to equal it. It didn't better anything I had in my system but all I can say is that for the money it's untouchable for value for money. I personally think it works better with a head amp and I would heartily recommend anyone wanting to try a MC cartridge for the first time to put this phonostage very high up the list to trial and then think about using a head amp. So this piece of kit gets a big thumbs up from me.
    Good review. Jez will be pleased.

    Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Join Date: May 2016

    Location: Much Wenlock

    Posts: 1,522
    I'm Gary.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by REXTON View Post
    Arkless 640P MC/MM phonostage


    I've been in the market for a decent MM phonostage for some time. Now this is a little weird cos I actually own 3, I have a Sugden Masterclass phonostage with a MM output and both my ATC and Croft preamp's both have a MM stage fitted. I'd heard about Jez's work on the 640 years ago and decided I wanted to check out the hype. So, it arrived very well packaged alongside a couple of RCA plugs to change the MC stage loading characteristics. I should state that you will need a donor unit if you should like to purchase this phonostage. I plumbed the 640P into my Croft system and decided I'd try a few carts to see how the thing behaved. I tried a Denon 103M, a Shure V15 mk3, a Keotsu Black, and a Ortofon Silver Meister mk I SPU. All I can say is that is handled all of these carts without even breaking a sweat. I especially enjoyed throwing in my modded Lentek headamp with the Denon 103M and smiling from ear to ear at the sonics of the Presence album by Led Zeppelin. Good decent bass, excellent timing, a truly nice way to spend 20 minutes of my time. Next album was the latest offering from the Avashi Cohen Trio - From Darkness. This album is great to test a phonostage's ability to portray stringed instruments. Well I got a nice centered soundstage with a very well defined, full bodied cello slapped in front of me, plenty of timbre, no complaints from me here. I also decided to try a little heavy rock in the form of a Vertigo pressing of Black Sabbath's first album. The opening bell chimes and cymbal work from Bill Ward's drums sounded truly excellent and again straight in front of me. This phonostage cost's ( I think £255 + price of a donor unit ). You would honestly have to pay upwards of £1K to get something to equal it. It didn't better anything I had in my system but all I can say is that for the money it's untouchable for value for money. I personally think it works better with a head amp and I would heartily recommend anyone wanting to try a MC cartridge for the first time to put this phonostage very high up the list to trial and then think about using a head amp. So this piece of kit gets a big thumbs up from me.
    I'm confused and probably being thick

    If this is a MM and MC phono stage, why do you need a head amp?

    As I said probably being thick! Somebody please explain?

  4. #4
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: NE England

    Posts: 4,173
    I'm Jez.

    Default

    Glad you liked it

    Anyone wishing to join the loan unit list see here http://theartofsound.net/forum/showt...hono-loan-list
    Arkless Electronics-Engineered to be better. Tel. 01670 530674 (after 1pm)

    Modded Thorens TD150, Audio Technica AT-1005 MkII, Technics EPC-300MC, Arkless Hybrid MC phono stage, Arkless passive pre, Arkless 50WPC Class A SS power amp, (or) Arkless modded Leak Stereo 20, Modded Kef Reference 105/3's
    ReVox PR99, Studer B62, Ferrograph Series 7, Tandberg TCD440, Hitachi FT-5500MkI, also FT-5500MkII
    Digital: Yamaha CDR-HD1500 (Digital Swiss army knife-CD recorder, player, hard drive, DAC and ADC in one), PC files via 24/96 sound card and SPDIF, modded Philips CD850, modded Philips CD104, modded DPA Little Bit DAC. Sennheiser HD580 cans with Arkless Headphone amp.
    Cables- free interconnects that come with CD players, mains leads from B&Q, dead kettles etc, extension leads from Tesco

  5. #5
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: NE England

    Posts: 4,173
    I'm Jez.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Stryder5 View Post
    I'm confused and probably being thick

    If this is a MM and MC phono stage, why do you need a head amp?

    As I said probably being thick! Somebody please explain?
    You don't need a head amp. I guess Andy likes some sort of "nice" colouration coming from the head amp as all the same circuitry is in use in the phono stage whether it's set to MM or MC. A single resistor per channel is changed in value by switching from MC to MM and that's all. This suggests that the Lentek is "adding niceness"
    Arkless Electronics-Engineered to be better. Tel. 01670 530674 (after 1pm)

    Modded Thorens TD150, Audio Technica AT-1005 MkII, Technics EPC-300MC, Arkless Hybrid MC phono stage, Arkless passive pre, Arkless 50WPC Class A SS power amp, (or) Arkless modded Leak Stereo 20, Modded Kef Reference 105/3's
    ReVox PR99, Studer B62, Ferrograph Series 7, Tandberg TCD440, Hitachi FT-5500MkI, also FT-5500MkII
    Digital: Yamaha CDR-HD1500 (Digital Swiss army knife-CD recorder, player, hard drive, DAC and ADC in one), PC files via 24/96 sound card and SPDIF, modded Philips CD850, modded Philips CD104, modded DPA Little Bit DAC. Sennheiser HD580 cans with Arkless Headphone amp.
    Cables- free interconnects that come with CD players, mains leads from B&Q, dead kettles etc, extension leads from Tesco

  6. #6
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    <Cough>

    There are some of us who are adamant (based on considerable listening experience and numerous comparisons) that a good head amp, used through a good MM stage, invariably beats a good standalone MC stage...

    And it's got nowt to do with "adding niceness"!

    Personally, I've yet to hear a standalone MC phono stage win any such battles, and unless I hear differently sometime (and I remain open to that possibility), I'll continue enjoying the virtues of MC cartridge vinyl replay, through my head amp/valve MM phono stage

    However, that doesn't detract from the desirable sonic qualities of the phono stage just reviewed.

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  7. #7
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: NE England

    Posts: 4,173
    I'm Jez.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    <Cough>

    There are some of us who are adamant (based on considerable listening experience and numerous comparisons) that a good head amp, used through a good MM stage, invariably beats a good standalone MC stage...

    And it's got nowt to do with "adding niceness"!

    Personally, I've yet to hear a standalone MC phono stage win any such battles, and unless I hear differently sometime (and I remain open to that possibility), I'll continue enjoying the virtues of MC cartridge vinyl replay, through my head amp/valve MM phono stage

    However, that doesn't detract from the desirable sonic qualities of the phono stage just reviewed.

    Marco.
    Hook, line and sinker What took so long? And I didn't even have to pay Stryder5 for the bait

    We've discussed this even at length on the phone I recall and all the possible reasons and permutations... This is particularly interesting as exactly the same components and circuitry are in the signal path in the Arkless 640P no matter whether it's in MM or MC mode. Setting it to MM and then using the head amp just adds more circuitry to the signal path to end up with the same amount of gain...

    Explain how that can be anything else other than something added by the head amp

    I'll let you mull on that before I give you an explanation of why in some circumstances you could be r..... you're gonna like this I think
    Arkless Electronics-Engineered to be better. Tel. 01670 530674 (after 1pm)

    Modded Thorens TD150, Audio Technica AT-1005 MkII, Technics EPC-300MC, Arkless Hybrid MC phono stage, Arkless passive pre, Arkless 50WPC Class A SS power amp, (or) Arkless modded Leak Stereo 20, Modded Kef Reference 105/3's
    ReVox PR99, Studer B62, Ferrograph Series 7, Tandberg TCD440, Hitachi FT-5500MkI, also FT-5500MkII
    Digital: Yamaha CDR-HD1500 (Digital Swiss army knife-CD recorder, player, hard drive, DAC and ADC in one), PC files via 24/96 sound card and SPDIF, modded Philips CD850, modded Philips CD104, modded DPA Little Bit DAC. Sennheiser HD580 cans with Arkless Headphone amp.
    Cables- free interconnects that come with CD players, mains leads from B&Q, dead kettles etc, extension leads from Tesco

  8. #8
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Arkless Electronics View Post
    Hook, line and sinker What took so long? And I didn't even have to pay Stryder5 for the bait
    Haha - very good!

    This is particularly interesting as exactly the same components and circuitry are in the signal path in the Arkless 640P no matter whether it's in MM or MC mode. Setting it to MM and then using the head amp just adds more circuitry to the signal path to end up with the same amount of gain...

    Explain how that can be anything else other than something added by the head amp...
    No idea. I can't comment on that particular scenario, as I haven't heard an Arkless 640P, either with or without your head amp.

    However, if I had, I would've commented accordingly. If I'd preferred it with the head amp, then that's what I'd have said, and if the opposite had been true, then I'd have acknowledged it as the first time I'd ever preferred a standalone MC stage!

    The 'proof of the pudding' is *always* in the listening, and as ever, things have to be judged in specific contexts, as you can just hit upon a particular combo that works, regardless of what your preconceptions (or electronics textbook) dictates should be best.

    It always pays to keep an open mind...

    I'll let you mull on that before I give you an explanation of why in some circumstances you could be r..... you're gonna like this I think
    Can't wait, lol

    At the end of the day, I simply judge what I hear. I don't always need to know why that is.

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  9. #9
    Join Date: May 2016

    Location: Much Wenlock

    Posts: 1,522
    I'm Gary.

    Default

    He did pay me.......

  10. #10
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    Let me guess... Two bob and a bag of jelly babies?

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


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