LCR phono stages - opinion

[Bigman80]

Thanks Andrew. You're absolutely right about this being a new marketing acronym. In any case, on the strength of the Troel's review (and correspondence with Tom), I've ordered the Valab. I'll report back!

Yes! I've been waiting for someone to get one of these and do a write-up!!

More power to you.

[martinswimmer]

Yes! I've been waiting for someone to get one of these and do a write-up!!

More power to you.

Might need to hire a ghost writer for the review ;-) . My system is such a patchwork of things that any sound character can be attributed to anything in the chain...

[GJO]

I have had the Vida and a home built unit with a parts cost of 6.5K at my place,I would have liked to spend more time with them as bake off's aren't the best situations for a proper listen,but they both sounded rather special.

[Bigman80]

Might need to hire a ghost writer for the review ;-) . My system is such a patchwork of things that any sound character can be attributed to anything in the chain...

Lol,

[bbbiker800]

The Valeb consists of a lot of kit/components for the money and yes it does seem to be a steal at that price. The write up seems extraordinary given the competition it faced.

The Lounge on the other hand is very well reviewed but it is a US budget phono priced at $300. In the UK its - not unsurprisingly - a rather more expensive £500. But I didn't pay that !. That said, the cost for the sound improvements I'd gained made it good value for me.

I'd be very interested to hear any reports made about the Valeb performance

Nice choice

[montesquieu]

This is the same argument that says that one out of the two resistors that form a potential divider is more important than the other. I don't buy it - it doesn't make any sense from an engineering point of view or any other point of view, except that of the novice looking at a circuit diagram without understanding it.
I'm not saying that LCR phonostages can't be fabulous - I've no doubt they can be - just that it isn't the LCR bit per se that makes them fabulous.

Nevertheless, the best phono stages I've heard out of rather a lot of them have been LCR, independent of whether valve or solid state (a surprise to me as a valve fan) ... perhaps it's just not worth the effort in trying to solve the engineering problems in creating one if you aren't also shooting for the high end? Custom-wound inductors themselves are quite a big statement, when a LR phono stage can be done with standard components off the shelf. Have you had a crack at one yourself?

[Barry]

Nevertheless, the best phono stages I've heard out of rather a lot of them have been LCR, independent of whether valve or solid state (a surprise to me as a valve fan) ... perhaps it's just not worth the effort in trying to solve the engineering problems in creating one if you aren't also shooting for the high end? Custom-wound inductors themselves are quite a big statement, when a LR phono stage can be done with standard components off the shelf. Have you had a crack at one yourself?

Regardless of the sonic benefits, or otherwise of using LCR networks to achieve RIAA equalisation, the fact that in order to reproduce the playback curve to a sufficient degree of accuracy (within 0.5dB at least) means not only do the components not have 'standard' values, but they have to be made to a high tolerance. This will automatically make any equalisation circuits employing inductors expensive. This problem is compounded in that the two channels must track one another, again to within 0.2dB or better.

[martinswimmer]

Another well reviewed LCR phono stage - Remton LCR from Czech Republic:
http://www.the-ear.net/review-hardwa...k2-phono-stage

[Bigman80]

£4000+ ! Jesus. If that Valab is any good, you should have a bonafide bargain.

Fingers crossed.

[martinswimmer]

£4000+ ! Jesus. If that Valab is any good, you should have a bonafide bargain.

Fingers crossed.

Remton has glowing tubes inside! A side observation is that everyone seems to be playing Koln Concert when testing phono stages. Out of all Keith's LPs - that's the one I don't have ;-(