Valve/tube phono stage.

[fubar925]

Has per title looking for a valve/tube phone stage.... Ive got a pro-ject rpm 4 with Ortofon mkII cartridge.

Only got a small budget im afraid... so be gentle..

Thanks
Brett

[walpurgis]

Any reason why it has to be valve?

[fubar925]

Well I like the look of them and also I have a valve type amp and like the sound so kinda wanted to stick to what I know..

[fubar925]

Anything....?

[southall-1998]

Perhaps be a little patient and something decent will come !!

[walpurgis]

Don't bother with the Pro Ject Tube box. I had the Tube Box SE and wasn't impressed. The Bellari VP129 is great at the price, if you can find one. The EAR 834P is nice enough, but seriously overpriced on the second hand market. I sold mine after I bought a Graham Slee ERA Gold V, which was just better all round. The Icon Audio PS1 is a good unit though, but you ain't going to get one cheap!

[Si74]

Not valves but the Project SE is good value. Clear Audio Basic is just that but if you can find a Basic Ltd Edition, still one of the best phonostages I've ever heard
and wish I'd not sold mine!
Decent valves doesn't come cheap and all the peeps I know with valve stages have come to grief, except me:lol:

[fubar925]

Now the Icon Audio PS1.2 is a nice looking phono, Nearly bought the Yaqin ms-22b but got a refunf late delivery and 110v not 230v.... So sat with a new ish turntable and some new vinyl and no phono stage lol....doh

[Stratmangler]

:whistle:
Now the Icon Audio PS1.2 is a nice looking phono,

I've never heard anything by Icon Audio that sounded decent.
And yes, I went to the Manchester Show earlier this year, and the stuff in the Icon Audio room sounded shite.
I know that some members here liked what they heard, but I did not.

Now what do looks have to with things? :whistle:

[twotone]

You could do worse that buy a Graham Slee Gram Amp 2 SE for £150 brand new from Scott Nangle (Daytona600).

I've one on trial at the minute and I'm very very impressed with it and it really does take about a week left on 247 to hear it properly.

Even if you don't like it or prefer valves it will get you going until you find what your looking for and your not going to take much of a hit at that price if you do move it on.

One sold on ebay last week, SH, but brand new & boxed according to the seller for £170.

Tony

[fubar925]

Really I've read a few reviews and for the money they seem to be doing ok.....? so what do you recommend? prefer tube.

[fubar925]

Thanks for the advice think I need to stick with a valve/tube as my amp is a valve amp.. I may be wrong open to advice.

[twotone]

Thanks for the advice think I need to stick with a valve/tube as my amp is a valve amp.. I may be wrong open to advice.

I've really no idea but people seem to prefer a mix of SS and valve not two of each.

[DSJR]

:whistle:

I've never heard anything by Icon Audio that sounded decent.
And yes, I went to the Manchester Show earlier this year, and the stuff in the Icon Audio room sounded shite.
I know that some members here liked what they heard, but I did not.

Now what do looks have to with things? :whistle:

I respect your opinion, but in defence I have to say that although I find the Icon Stereo 25? a bit too old-school soft toned, the 40 (just under £2K?) and 60 (just over £2K) - the ones with copper plates on the top - sound totally different and to me far better, at least into favourite Harbeths and Wharfedale Diamonds :lol:

Has anyone mentioned the Croft phono stage yet? I mean, we ALL (practically) love their preamps, yet the phono stage often gets ignored, yet it's the same. Used with short, low capacitance interconnects and maybe with some tube-rolling to taste, it may well fit the bill, although it looks like an oblong-plain-box power amp.......

[fubar925]

Still a wanted thread guys...I am sat here with some new vinyl and new to me turntable and beer in the fridge and really really wanting to listen to a bit of blood sugar sex magik....closely followed by QOSA like clockwork... What about cambridge 640p? What price on that?

[fubar925]

My budget is between £100-£300 prefer the lower end... Whats up with the pro-ject tubes then?

[twotone]

My budget is between £100-£300 prefer the lower end... Whats up with the pro-ject tubes then?

Don't think there's much wrong with those but the guy on PFM who mods them is partly responsible for the SH prices of those amps being pretty high now.

There was a SH one on e-bay last night.

Think there's a load of Pro-ject phono amps on there too at the minute.

[fubar925]

Sorry for being dumb SH?

[southall-1998]

Second Hand?

[fubar925]

Doh.....Sorry how stupid..

So the Pro-ject tube phonos can be moded or the cambridge?

[fubar925]

?

[Stratmangler]

I've never heard anything by Icon Audio that sounded decent.
And yes, I went to the Manchester Show earlier this year, and the stuff in the Icon Audio room sounded shite.
I know that some members here liked what they heard, but I did not.

Now what do looks have to with things? :whistle:

I respect your opinion, but in defence I have to say that although I find the Icon Stereo 25? a bit too old-school soft toned, the 40 (just under £2K?) and 60 (just over £2K) - the ones with copper plates on the top - sound totally different and to me far better, at least into favourite Harbeths and Wharfedale Diamonds :lol:

Has anyone mentioned the Croft phono stage yet? I mean, we ALL (practically) love their preamps, yet the phono stage often gets ignored, yet it's the same. Used with short, low capacitance interconnects and maybe with some tube-rolling to taste, it may well fit the bill, although it looks like an oblong-plain-box power amp.......

The key word in my post is anything.
Now, in all fairness, this might well be due to some poor amp/speaker pairings by whoever was doing the demonstration, but my first point stands.
I've never heard Icon Audio stuff that sounded truly decent, and I've heard quite a few show demos in my time.
As such I personally wouldn't put their name forward in recommendation.

Remember the old thing about valve amps sounding warm and cuddly?
That for me is how things sounded with Icon Audio amps driving the speakers.
Unfortunately warm and cuddly means that you hear the sound of the amp, and don't get to hear the full flavour of the music.

I'd also like to add that I hear decent valve based amplification on a fairly regular basis.
Much of it is home brewed.
The only stuff I have that has valves in it is a guitar amplifier.

I must admit that I'd like to hear some Croft stuff sometime - my only experience of Croft to date is Marco's preamp, which of course suits his system to a T.

:):cool:

[walpurgis]

My budget is between £100-£300 prefer the lower end... Whats up with the pro-ject tubes then?

The Pro Ject Tube Box SE I had, just wasn't that good. Not a significant step up from their solid state jobs, which are OK for the money I suppose. The little Bellari VP129 was more musical and cheaper.

A Cambridge 640P would not disappoint, I had one and surprisingly, it was nearly as good as my EAR 834P. They are fantastic for the money, very musical and not lacking in weight, unlike many cheaper phono stages. About £60 should buy a mint used one.

As for the Icon Audio gear, well if it doesn't sound right, that is almost certainly down to the demo set-up. Icon Audio electronics are sourced from Ming Da in China who make some great sounding equipment. The Crofts I've used are warm and cuddly in character, they didn't suit my tastes.

[fubar925]

Thanks for the pointers.... Still on the look out...

[Sovereign]

Fubar

Did you get my PM?

[fubar925]

Fubar

Did you get my PM?

No sorry for late reply.... PM replied to

[fubar925]

Bump

[daytona600]

not tube but offer the best bits of tubes & SS
Graham slee phono stages are excellent value or Blue Circle fon lo thingee FLT
based on a $ 7000 BC703 two box phono stage mounted in a plastic drain pipe to save costs
within your budget , you can add extra PSU and capacitor packs MM/MC or combine with a bobs devices SUT for a total giant slayer

some reading

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=354802

[julesd68]

If you would prefer a tube stage you can't really go wrong with a Puresound P10 which are not difficult to find for £250-300 second-hand. You'll want to upgrade the standard tubes ideally.

Geoff's Graham Slee ERA Gold V also sounded great in my system and I was surprised how close it sounded to the P10 to be honest!

[fubar925]

Thanks for the heads up is the p10 mm or mc?

[julesd68]

No probs. It is MM - there is a matching SUT should you require MC.

[Audioman]

Other suggestions around the £500 mark. Densen DP drive (MM/MC). NVA phono 2 (either MM or MC as specified and 30 day money back guarantee. Cheaper - £200+ Arkless modded Cambridge, Rega Fono. More expensive £800+ Ant Audio, Icon Audio PS I Mk2 , Rega Aria. BTW Paul at RFC is doing the Jolida valve phono which is very reasonably priced.