Recommendations for Tube Phonostage with XLR/balanced outputs

Bobolaclune said:
Oh yeah , forgot - 23 equalisation curves & a built-in 24/96 A-D converter for ripping vinyl to digital. I love the fact that the main Cart labels are all built in so you can identify each input by the manufacturer
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The AMR PH-77 will be my next phono stage! (have no idea when, but it's been on my radar for over a year now)
 
Bobolaclune said:
Let's hope Dan has upped his game since I owned an LS100 preamp with phono stage a couple of years ago. Got channel reversals and phase issues until I opened the unit up and found out the wiring was reversed . Dan was suitably chastened.....
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Are you really going to disparage an entire product line based on a mistake made by one of Dan's techs? Stuff happens, even to big manufacturers. I have a LS100 in my system and the phone stage is excellent. The PH 150 is at another level better. Have you heard it?
 
JJinID said:
Are you really going to disparate an entire product line based on a mistake made by one of Dan's techs? Stuff happens, even to big manufacturers. I have a LS100 in my system and the phone stage is excellent. The PH 150 is at another level better. Have you heard it?
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+1
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys! All good ones! I'm going to be on the lookout at CES too, maybe something will catch my eye.


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Bobolaclune said:
Mike - I have an AMR PH-77 which is an astonishingly good phono stage , XLR outputs . Triple input capability, remote control gain/loading adjustment . NOS tubes . Deadly quiet. Recommend it highly. Ran rings around the amazingly noisy Rhea Signature I had. And it comes in a flight case....I know that's important to you.
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I sold one to a local customer who listens to vinyl almost exclusively (but he also had purchased an AMR CD-77 from me and still uses it). He loves it. Interestingly, though, he came over for a listen to the Atma-Sphere MP-1 which had been upgraded recently to Mk 3.3 status and said it's even quieter than the AMR, which is no slouch as you know. AMR stopped making the 77 series components a while back, and there aren't that many PH-77s out there. Enjoy, it's a good one.
 
JJinID said:
Are you really going to disparage an entire product line based on a mistake made by one of Dan's techs? Stuff happens, even to big manufacturers. I have a LS100 in my system and the phone stage is excellent. The PH 150 is at another level better. Have you heard it?
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Hmmm....don't get your panties in a twist . Would you rather have a forum where everyone just blindly raves for every product or would you rather suffer through the painful process of hearing the truth? I don't think even a cursory glance at my note would suggest I was disparaging the entire line , simply relaying an actual experience ...one no doubt painful to hear for acolytes but nevertheless , the truth. And for the record , Dan fessed up to the fact that he himself had built my LS100 . Best with all these manufacturers to face up to who they are - primarily micro-scale enterprises with all the foibles that comes with. Unless you labour under some perception that these are large scale industrial enterprises with defined QC functions and an elaborate structure.
 
Garth said:
Mike

I have tried a few Phono stages the one I picked was the Burmister 100

The Reasons were balanced with XLR

It can be had with out A to D converter and only one input it might make your budget

The big down side for you is it is Solid state . A big plus for me

This Phono has a lot of magic in the right system

I looked at phonos that I could not afford many great designers prefer not to use XLR for phonos some will not use them.

The foundation of a phono stage for many designers is the power supply a tricky thing to get right.

Any one buying a phono stage in my humble opinion should look at how many inputs can you limit your self to. Will the cartridge match the Phono Stage.

As far as I know the Phono is biggest multiplier of the signal their for a far more important to get as right as you can.

I heard a very fine tube Phono in my system well built great reviews it was horrid . I heard the exact same Phono in a friends system and it was great 3 of us tried to make it sound even passable in my house and that did not happen.

They are fussy and very system dependent unless some one has the same system and taste in sound as you I really think you are on your own with this one.

Best of luck
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Excellent phonostage but I think base price for a single input model is in the $20K area so that might bust the budget Mike has arbitrarily (!) set. A fully loaded dual input A/D equipped unit would be $28K.
 
I re-read Fremer's review of the AMR PH-77 last night and he mentions that its a single ended design with "convenience" XLR outputs which are not true balanced outs. Not sure if that makes a difference for you Mike?
 
MikeCh said:
I re-read Fremer's review of the AMR PH-77 last night and he mentions that its a single ended design with "convenience" XLR outputs which are not true balanced outs. Not sure if that makes a difference for you Mike?
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Hmm...thanks Mike...let me think about it. I think that's going to be the case with 99% of those with XLR - except for maybe BAT and a few others??
 
MikeCh said:
I re-read Fremer's review of the AMR PH-77 last night and he mentions that its a single ended design with "convenience" XLR outputs which are not true balanced outs. Not sure if that makes a difference for you Mike?
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I believe you are correct. Going through transformers to provide balanced outputs may not be advisable due to high frequency roll off. Better to stick with a truly differential balanced design.
 
Bobolaclune said:
Hmmm....don't get your panties in a twist . Would you rather have a forum where everyone just blindly raves for every product or would you rather suffer through the painful process of hearing the truth? I don't think even a cursory glance at my note would suggest I was disparaging the entire line , simply relaying an actual experience ...one no doubt painful to hear for acolytes but nevertheless , the truth. And for the record , Dan fessed up to the fact that he himself had built my LS100 . Best with all these manufacturers to face up to who they are - primarily micro-scale enterprises with all the foibles that comes with. Unless you labour under some perception that these are large scale industrial enterprises with defined QC functions and an elaborate structure.
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WOW, really? Panties in a twist? Not hardly. I found your comment to be unbalanced and disparaging, without mentioning the resolution to your issue and if you were taken care of by Dan, which you undoubtedly were. I have no problem with people sharing actual real world experiences, yours included, and like Bruce just did with his actual impressions of the PH 150.

Mike - lots of good recommendations on this thread, and sorry for the aside. I will look forward to seeing what you decide on.
 
JJinID said:
WOW, really? Panties in a twist? Not hardly. I found your comment to be unbalanced and disparaging, without mentioning the resolution to your issue and if you were taken care of by Dan, which you undoubtedly were. I have no problem with people sharing actual real world experiences, yours included, and like Bruce just did with his actual impressions of the PH 150.

Mike - lots of good recommendations on this thread, and sorry for the aside. I will look forward to seeing what you decide on.
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Just to clarify - disparagement has connotations or implications of slanderous or unfounded generalised negative pronouncements . I was making comments about an actual situation and if you like , I can post Dan's embarrassed responses to confirm what I am saying. As to resolution ? He suggested I reverse the wiring harness connections myself .....

I guess this is what cognitive dissonance looks like.
 
The Aesthetix Rhea and Rhea Sig both have XLR out. I currently have the Rhea but am considering moving up to the Sig or the Modwright PH150.
 
Bobolaclune said:
Excellent phonostage but I think base price for a single input model is in the $20K area so that might bust the budget Mike has arbitrarily (!) set. A fully loaded dual input A/D equipped unit would be $28K.
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I bought mine a few years ago prices were less then. I thought the base price was 12 back then.
 
Garth said:
I bought mine a few years ago prices were less then. I thought the base price was 12 back then.
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it was 16 when i wanted one then jumped to 20 base price, I have a 088 and 911 but really didnt want to spend that much on a phono even with a good offered discount on the purchase.
 
mike I have been looking for a tube phono with xlr and seems the most popular ones with a true xlr that are in the price range are BAT and ARC, not sure what the new ARC phono 3 will cost
 
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