ohbythebay
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Well folks...thanks to our good friend Jeff of A/V Solutions, I got to try some Phono Stages a bit higher end than my $49 miracle. :evil:
I wont talk about anything else other than the one I BOUGHT which is the Phonomena II. There is no hype with this phono stage, its all true. I have tested so many from $50 to $400 and really, none of those beat my $50 stage (with a SUT) until now. Yes, its a $600 phono stage but in this case you are getting what you pay for.
First, the setup is clear and easy with details on how to set the gain (I left mine at the default factory 60db) and most important for MC carts, the loading. Some stages don't have this feature and if they do, they limit the choices. The Phonomena II lets you choose between the following:
30, 40, 50, 59, 80, 100, 121, 150, 243, 280, 380, 475, 660, 1k, 2k, 50k, 100k Ohms
That is quite a range and rule of thumb (as per Jeff and from prior knowledge) you want to set the loading at roughly 10 x the coil impedence for the cartridge. Mine is 12ohms so x 10 = 120ohms...I chose the 121 as 100 (which tends to be the standard on many) and 250 which others have is too low (higher the number, lower the loading). 121 was and is a perfect sweet spot.
It also has capacitance loading which most people associate with MM carts however; setting the 200pf if for your cables, not your cart.
From the first cut of Peter Gabriel I had a smile. The sound was exactly what I was seeking and I did not have that sense of "oh, what should I tweak" or "can I get used to this". I was used to it from the jump. Clear highs with detail but no "brightness" that takes away from the sound. Crisp bass, solid and strong but not dull. Mids were right where they should be and I noticed more separation and soundstage than usual. Especially when I played Herb Alpert and the trumpet moved right. Thought I was imbalanced until I played other things and realized, I am hearing Herb where he was, not squished to the middle.
Moved on to Cat Stevens and the guitar pick in Wild World was right there...as was the Cat Man himself...his voice was clear, never screechy. Every instrument on every record was clear and distinct with that wide separation and soundstage. Truly it is refreshing to have this reaction to the music right out of the box...and I don't even have to play A/B with my old phono stage to compare. It is crystal clear which sounds better.
So is it worth the price? I would say Hell Yeah ...but remember too, cost is relative. A $1400 table, $600 cart...a $600 phono stage is in line. Would I do this on a $200 table and $100 cart...no. It would be like putting a BMW 500 series body on a Chevy Volt. The package wrapping is great but will never make the mechanics better than the are. Same with the Phonomena II.
Like my Concept table, this is a balanced first step into audiophile quality. Stepping away from the average into the above average and loving it.
For Doug, you made the right choice !
Hope you guys enjoy the review....And thanks to Jeff Again for making it happen and the 1.5 hour chat by phone today..LOL
I wont talk about anything else other than the one I BOUGHT which is the Phonomena II. There is no hype with this phono stage, its all true. I have tested so many from $50 to $400 and really, none of those beat my $50 stage (with a SUT) until now. Yes, its a $600 phono stage but in this case you are getting what you pay for.
First, the setup is clear and easy with details on how to set the gain (I left mine at the default factory 60db) and most important for MC carts, the loading. Some stages don't have this feature and if they do, they limit the choices. The Phonomena II lets you choose between the following:
30, 40, 50, 59, 80, 100, 121, 150, 243, 280, 380, 475, 660, 1k, 2k, 50k, 100k Ohms
That is quite a range and rule of thumb (as per Jeff and from prior knowledge) you want to set the loading at roughly 10 x the coil impedence for the cartridge. Mine is 12ohms so x 10 = 120ohms...I chose the 121 as 100 (which tends to be the standard on many) and 250 which others have is too low (higher the number, lower the loading). 121 was and is a perfect sweet spot.
It also has capacitance loading which most people associate with MM carts however; setting the 200pf if for your cables, not your cart.
From the first cut of Peter Gabriel I had a smile. The sound was exactly what I was seeking and I did not have that sense of "oh, what should I tweak" or "can I get used to this". I was used to it from the jump. Clear highs with detail but no "brightness" that takes away from the sound. Crisp bass, solid and strong but not dull. Mids were right where they should be and I noticed more separation and soundstage than usual. Especially when I played Herb Alpert and the trumpet moved right. Thought I was imbalanced until I played other things and realized, I am hearing Herb where he was, not squished to the middle.
Moved on to Cat Stevens and the guitar pick in Wild World was right there...as was the Cat Man himself...his voice was clear, never screechy. Every instrument on every record was clear and distinct with that wide separation and soundstage. Truly it is refreshing to have this reaction to the music right out of the box...and I don't even have to play A/B with my old phono stage to compare. It is crystal clear which sounds better.
So is it worth the price? I would say Hell Yeah ...but remember too, cost is relative. A $1400 table, $600 cart...a $600 phono stage is in line. Would I do this on a $200 table and $100 cart...no. It would be like putting a BMW 500 series body on a Chevy Volt. The package wrapping is great but will never make the mechanics better than the are. Same with the Phonomena II.
Like my Concept table, this is a balanced first step into audiophile quality. Stepping away from the average into the above average and loving it.
For Doug, you made the right choice !
Hope you guys enjoy the review....And thanks to Jeff Again for making it happen and the 1.5 hour chat by phone today..LOL
I really like the Phonomena a lot and wish I could use it, but it's just not in the cards.
