Phono stages a standard moving magnetic cartridge puts out about 5mV, a good Moving Coil cartridge just 400uV (0.4mV).  This needs to be amplified and equalised before feeding the line input of an amplifier.  Some amplifiers and preamplifiers have phono inputs, but not all, and they vary dramatically in quality.  Here we present phono stages that we have tried and liked.  Our MD Dave Cawley has tested each unit, and listened very, very hard. 

 

Whest  PS.30RDT £2,795.00

The PS.30RDT has become the phono stage which other stages are compared against. The PS.30RDT is not only a higher specified and closer tolerance version of the PS.30R but is electrically dual mono in design from the power inlet onwards! Every magazine that has reviewed the PS.30RDT has loved it, comparing it to the best of valve/tubes but without the pitfalls, namely: noise, microphony, bloated bass and image blur. They have also compared it to many stages costing many times its price and the PS.30RDT has always come out on top. The PS.30RDT is used in more than 30 archiving libraries worldwide due to its amazing resolving power. It is also used in several magazine reviewer systems worldwide and is now a Whest Audio best seller.

Whest  PS.30R £1,795.00

This very large and very impressive Phono Stage is without doubt one of the very best in the World.  It measures better that anything we can find and is a joy to behold, visually and aurally! If you have an expensive Swiss or Japanese cartridge, this is for you.  Why this isn't £1,995.00 is a mystery?  It is always on demonstration here.

Model No.: PS.30R
• RIAA curve accuracy: 18Hz - 22Khz +/- 0.2dB
• Frequency response: 5Hz - 65Khz -10dB /- 1.0dB
• Working band: 15Hz - 85Khz
• THD+N: 0.006%
• MM Gain 40dB
• MC gain 50dB-72dB internally adjustable 6 steps.
• Connections: Silver Unbalanced RCA, Neutrik XLR impedance balanced
• Connectors: Silver Audiophile
• Unpacked weight: 4.5Kgs
• Packed weight: 6Kgs
• Dimensions: W 430mm   D 290mm   H 78mm
• Operating voltage: 230VAC 50Hz or 115VAC 60Hz

Whest TWO  £745.00

This has to be the bargain of phono stages.  Super accurate, low noise and very musical.  This is a great phono stage at a truly great price, consider no others in the price range!  Like all Whest products, it could sell for more.

Model No.: whestTWO
• RIAA curve accuracy: 18Hz - 22Khz +/- 0.2dB
• Frequency response: 5Hz - 50Khz -10dB /- 1.0dB
• Working band: 17Hz - 45Khz
• THD+N: 0.01%
• MM Gain 40dB
• MC gain 65dB internally adjustable only by dealer .
• Connections: Unbalanced
• Connectors: Gold Audiophile
• Unpacked weight: 1.5Kgs
• Packed weight: 2Kgs
• Dimensions: 130mm x 210mm x 42mm
• Operating voltage: 230VAC 50Hz or 115VAC 60Hz

Puresound Valve P10 

The P10 phono amplifier is the latest addition to the highly acclaimed Pure Sound product range. It is intended to meet the requirements of audio enthusiasts who still enjoy the distinctive strengths and high quality of reproduction that can be derived from vinyl records. It is compatible with moving magnet and high output moving coil cartridges. Low output moving coil cartridges will require the use of an additional step-up device or matching transformer. Full output from the P10 is sufficient to drive the line level inputs of any integrated amplifier or pre-amplifier.

The active amplification stages use double triodes in a simple anode follower configuration. The phono equalisation is achieved using passive components and can therefore maintain its accuracy over time without introducing the unacceptable levels of phase shift found in active equalisation stages. There is no negative feedback in the circuit.

The P10 features a particularly elaborate HT power supply. After the initial rectification and smoothing, the supply is split and two separate, heavily decoupled high voltage rails are established. These feed each half of the output valve while further decoupling of each rail allows the cleanest and most independent voltage rails possible to feed each half of the input valve. The absolute stability of this supply regardless of the demands made by the audio signal on the circuit, lends the P10 a stability and poise which allows effortless reproduction of the most demanding source material. The valve filaments are also fed by a DC supply thereby ensuring constant operating conditions for the amplifier. The circuit makes use of close tolerance metal film resistors, polypropylene signal coupling capacitors and selected valves.

The gain of the P10 is 40 dB (x 100). The P10 phono amplifier meets the very strict performance criteria required of all Pure Sound products and will give excellent results with vinyl records provided that it is used with appropriate ancillary equipment.

Click here for the Hi Fi World review

Price £595.00
 

A.N.T. AUDIO KORA 3T Moving Magnet

The First phono stage from ANT Audio is something very special. Only three field-effect transistors (FETs) are used per channel (hence “3T” in the name), single-ended class A, passive RIAA equalisation, local negative feedback (what is called “Zero Negative Feedback” by some manufacturers), low output impedance, excellent stability and frequency response. All this helps to create sound quality unexpected from a solid state circuit, with either MM or MC (using a suitable transformer for low output types) cartridges. Because the circuit is so simple its performance depends mostly on the quality of the components and the precise tuning of the DC biasing. For that reason there are 2 versions of the Kora 3T phono stage made available, sharing exactly the same circuit but different in sound quality and price. The table below gives a brief overview of these versions. All units are hand-built, thoroughly tested in our workshop near London and carry a 1year warranty. The “LE” version is supplied with measurement results for each unit.

If you want to use a moving magnet cartridge, then this is probably the phono stage for you!

Hi Fi World review click here

To read more about the design and the power supplies used click here.
 

A.N.T. AUDIO KORA 3T Moving Coil

The new Kora 3T MC phono stage is optimised for Moving Coil cartridges with the output from 0.3 mV to 0.6 mV. It shares it's topology and basic features with MM version: single-ended class A, passive RIAA equalisation, local negative feedback (what is called “Zero Negative Feedback” by some manufacturers), low output impedance, excellent stability and frequency response. Two versions of the Kora 3T phono stage are available, sharing exactly the same circuit but different in components quality and price. The table below gives a brief overview of these versions. All units are hand built, thoroughly tested in our workshop near London and carry a 1 year warranty. The “Limited Edition” version is supplied with measurement results for each unit.

Hi Fi World review click here

To read more about the design and the power supplies click here.

Clear Audio Nano  £175.00

Nano by name, and Nano by size.  This is held in an exquisite case milled out of a solid block of aluminium.  Staggering performance for such a Nano price!!  We truly recommend this as your starter phono stage, ideal for the AT-OC9MLII and other sub £300 moving coil cartridges.

MM and MC mode; switched by jumpers on the bottom of the unit
• Almost any cartridge can be used, through the use of input impedance jumpers:
• Gain control from 34 to 67dB
• Frequency response from 10Hz – 100kHz
• SMD technology
• External power supply (prevents disturbances from the power line)
• Gold plated RCA jacks
• High end components
• Fully Dual Mono circuit design
• Subsonic filter optional
• Dimensions: W x D x H: 80mm x 100mm x 20mm
• Warranty: 3 years
• Precision Made in Germany

NAD PP 2  £67.50

A very small unit that does everything! Stocked by us in the light silver colour "titanium".  There are other "cult" low cost phono stages that need modifying, but this one works just fine out of the box.  Ken Kessler said "Not wasting any time on price-related considerations, I fed the NAD with Transfigurations, Lyras and Koetsus, and it shamed none of them. The sound is sweet, smooth and coherent, open and airy, if not quite as 'huge'-sounding and palpable as, say, £2k's worth of fine-tuneable EAR. But the main issue with products of this humble a level is normally the refinement on offer. Trust me: this baby never sounds crude and always allows the detail through. And it loved the Koetsu."

• Input impedance (R and C) MM 47k + 220pF : MC 100R + 180pF
• Input sensitivity MM 3.5mV : MC 0.2mV
• Input overload at 20Hz/1kHz/20kHz MM 10/102/950mV : MC 0.8/9/84mV
• Signal/Noise ratio (A-weighted w/ cartridge) MM 80dB  : MC 78dB
• RIAA response accuracy MM, MC ±0.3dB
• Physical Specification
• Dimensions (W×H×D)  135 x 35 x 70 mm
• Weight 0.45kg

Ken Kessler review click here
 

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