Phono Stages with selectable EQ Curves (RIAA, Decca, Columbia, etc.) ?

MikeCh

MikeCh

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I know they aren't inexpensive and are likely well out of my $$$ range, but thought it would be interesting to assemble a list of Phono Stages (SS or Tube) that allow selectable EQ curves for older LP pressings.

Off the top of my head I'm aware of the Thoress Phono Enhancer, ARC Ref Phono 2 & Phono 10, TW-Acustic Phono RPS 100 and Channel D SETA "flat" phono (that uses the Pure Vinyl software for it's built in EQ curves).

What other Phono Stages exist that allow selectable EQ curves and also garner accolades for build and sound quality?
 
I forgot, the Musical Fidelity M1ViNL has switchable RIAA and IEC EQ too.
 
Mike - if you can wait a little bit, I will sell you my ARC REF2SE as soon as the Pass XS phono is available next year. :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The Hagerman Audio Labs Trumpet Reference that I currently have in house for review has selectable curves as well. It's also a tube unit with a massive power supply (big power transformer and 4 chokes) and the main circuit board floats in order to cut down on tube microphonics.
 
I've been researching selectable Eq phono pre in the last week or so. Wavestream Kinetics Archival Phono Stage, Allnic H3000V and Graham Slee come to mind.
 
mep said:
The Hagerman Audio Labs Trumpet Reference that I currently have in house for review has selectable curves as well. It's also a tube unit with a massive power supply (big power transformer and 4 chokes) and the main circuit board floats in order to cut down on tube microphonics.
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I am guessing as much as you hate suts that guy has an ss front. (Of course I am leaning toward a sut given your feelings in that regard.)
 
Graham Slee has three that are reasonable: Jazz Club, Revelation M and C.
Bottlehead will make one for you (based on their phono pre). They did the first one for me.

Larry
 
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Myles B. Astor said:
Couple of others:

FM Acoustics
Arthur Loesch
EMT
Boulder
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Bingo!

I am not even a vinyl guy, but what Manuel did with the phono stage he makes at FM Acoustics is almost voodoo.
the list price probably looks like a phone number, but man that thing is magic...

Cant see how it can be beaten.
 

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FlexibleAudio said:
I am guessing as much as you hate suts that guy has an ss front.
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You would be correct Paul. It has JFETs driving the first tube gain stage which are 12AX7s.

FlexibleAudio said:
(Of course I am leaning toward a sut given your feelings in that regard.)
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:)

Since you want to play the contrarian with me, I was scanning your list of gear in your signature to see what I wanted. I was going to tell you how much I loved a certain piece of gear you owned which would make you not want to own it and since I'm such a nice guy, you would just send it to me free of charge in order to get it out of your system. Unfortunately, with all of your "TBDs" and with what gear you have, there is nothing I wanted. :P
 
mep said:
You would be correct Paul. It has JFETs driving the first tube gain stage which are 12AX7s.

:)

Since you want to play the contrarian with me, I was scanning your list of gear in your signature to see what I wanted. I was going to tell you how much I loved a certain piece of gear you owned which would make you not want to own it and since I'm such a nice guy, you would just send it to me free of charge in order to get it out of your system. Unfortunately, with all of your "TBDs" and with what gear you have, there is nothing I wanted. :P
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Ok, you actually made me laugh so loud my wife came into the room to see what the *&@% was going on. Good thing you dislike my stuff cuz your plan would have worked. You are always one step ahead of me.

As an aside, do you plan to write a review on the Trumpet? Topology sounds similar to Nick Doshi's which I understand to be excellent.
 
FlexibleAudio said:
Ok, you actually made me laugh so loud my wife came into the room to see what the *&@% was going on. Good thing you dislike my stuff cuz your plan would have worked. You are always one step ahead of me.

As an aside, do you plan to write a review on the Trumpet? Topology sounds similar to Nick Doshi's which I understand to be excellent.
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Paul-Yes, I will be writing a review of the Trumpet Reference phono preamp. Unfortunately, I have only heard the Doshi phono preamp at RMAF and not my house so I will not be able to make a comparison. I do think the price of the Doshi is more dear than the Trumpet Reference, but maybe that doesn't matter at these price points. I know that Nick is constantly improving his phono section and the latest version is totally geeked out with meters to help facilitate cartridge setup. Myles wrote a review of the Doshi phono preamp which is now at least one generation behind the current Doshi phono preamp.

I know my favorite room at RMAF 2013 was the room Larry from Paragon Sight and Sound had set up. Nick was there with his phono preamp and tape preamp (not to mention a pair of his amps) along with a Studer A80 from Bruce Brown. Tape sounded great and so did the vinyl setup they were using. I had to force myself to leave this room in order to listen to the other rooms at the show and I kept coming back in order to relax and just hear great sounding music.
 
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