GS Era V Gold vs Trichord Dino

[Robprog]

Happy Christmas everyone. For those of you who saw my welcome thread I can report that the Michell Gyro SE with Technoarm and 2M Bronze is now playing wonderfully. (I was originally after the 2M Blue but there was a problem with that so I paid extra for the Bronze). I have the GS Gram Amp 2 SE and was wondering about an upgrade to the phono and specifically the GS Era Gold versus the Trichord Dino Mk3. The amp is the Cambridge Azur 651 driving B&W Matrix 1 speakers thanks to Steve (Accudazed). Which incidentally are a great addition to my system. I think the only thing that I am missing is a bit more bass. The treble and middle are fantastic. Anyone with any experience of these two?

[Stratmangler]

Join the Graham Slee Forum and you'll be eligible to borrow the Era Gold via the loan scheme.
That way you can find out for yourself whether it would be an improvement or not.

[Floyddroid]

Yes indeed, as Chris says, the wisest thing would be the loan scheme. However, I am very much a phono stage skeptic and well qualified to be one as i have owned loads of the bloody things. You will find that the Trichord is a ver detailed device which majors on information. However, the Graham Slee offers a little more of an even hand. It all depends how they work in your system.

Join the Graham Slee Forum and you'll be eligible to borrow the Era Gold via the loan scheme.
That way you can find out for yourself whether it would be an improvement or not.

[Robprog]

Thanks both. I'll try that GS forum route and see about a loan

[Thebiglebowski]

Have never heard the Graham Slee but have owned 2x Trichord Dinos (mk 1&2) and have just gone back to the Whest Two which betters the Trichord in every way. I'd recommend adding the Whest to your listening list.

[Floyddroid]

Here we go...........

I have no doubt whatsoever that the Whest phono stage of which is mentioned here is pretty good in the right system. I owned an upgraded three grand Whest phono stage and to be very honest it just didn't do it for me. There are many recipes for constructing phono stages and the one thing that i can conform having spent thousands of pounds (stupidly) on them that very few expensive phono stages live up to their price tags. Some of the best phono stages i have owned have been built into a pre amp. I would site two Exposure amplifiers that i have owned and a Beard CA 506. It is imperative to try any phono stage with any intended interconnect before you buy or it starts to get expensive. More companies like Slee should offer such schemes. All of the phono stages mentioned are no doubt very well built and designed, it's what it sounds like with the rest of your system, cartridge/TT/tonearm/ amp.

[Ali Tait]

I'd speak to Alan about trying the Firebottle phono stage.

[struth]

had a whest2 and a dino and the firbottle + bests both to me. in fact the little schiit mani i got recently beats both as well.

[Marco]

I'd speak to Alan about trying the Firebottle phono stage.

+1, or try a Croft.

I have no doubt whatsoever that the Whest phono stage of which is mentioned here is pretty good in the right system. I owned an upgrades three grand Whest phono stage and to be very honest it just didn't do it for me.

I think the entry-level Whest is good, but the more expensive ones in the range just aren’t worth their huge price premium. If you’re spending that kind of money, IME, there are far better options out there.

Some of the best phono stages i have owned have been built into a pre amp.

…and that wasn’t an accident, matey!

Quite simply, the worst thing for the delicate music signal, emitting from your cartridge, is subjecting it to over-complication, as that is very detrimental to maintaining its integrity, and it destroys the music.

Therefore, there’s a lot to be said for a high-quality, well-designed internal phono stage, hard-wired into the same circuit as a preamp or integrated amp, minus all the breaks in signal and increased capacitance and resistance, created by interconnect cables, plugs and sockets, joining up the use of another box!

Also, in my experience, phono stages come into their own when they’re designed with valves. Valves, done properly, particularly in that application, have a magical way with music that, so far to my ears, escapes any solid-state designed phono stage.

Marco.

[Robprog]

Wow. This is giving me a lot to think about. Thanks guys. More research