stevoz Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 @catman Specs Schmecs!.....our ears are the ultimate judge Felix! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rantan Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 2 minutes ago, stevoz said: @catman Specs Schmecs!.....our ears are the ultimate judge Felix! Please don't tell this to @Newman otherwise he be comin' for ya' wiv a pitchfork 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogicprObe Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 Felix........what's the rest of your system? It must be pretty red hot to be able to hear all the subtle differences.................or are you using phones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman Posted November 24, 2017 Author Share Posted November 24, 2017 (edited) G'day mate, just the usual system in here CA AM10 power amplifier, DIY ESP P97 stereo line preamp, CA SX-50 bookshelf speakers and the Rothwell Audio 'Simplex' phono stage. http://www.rothwellaudioproducts.co.uk/html/simplex_mm_phonostage.html Regards, Felix. Edited November 24, 2017 by catman Addition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allthumbs Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 A fire breaks out next door and the flames are licking at your roof, the fire brigade turns up, you have 2 minutes to evacuate. You can grab one phono stage, which just by chance you had all of them lined up on your dining table, just one, not two, just one, which one are you going to take Catman, which one? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogicprObe Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 Grab the Hendrix record too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman Posted November 24, 2017 Author Share Posted November 24, 2017 G'day all, which phono stage? That is a very hard one! Probably the Schiit Mani because it is able to play MM's and MC's! Regards, Felix. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyr Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 1 hour ago, catman said: When I first bought it I thought it somewhat overpriced but maybe there is a very good reason for it, it does sound fantastic. However maybe it sounds a little too fantastic, which makes me wonder about the accuracy of the RIAA curve? Mated with my Shure M97xE (a cartridge with a slight and deliberate upper treble roll off), that cartridge shows absolutely no sign of any treble roll off whatsoever, and I do wonder why? The specs indicate plus/minus .5 db RIAA accuracy which seems accurate enough, or maybe it is just a really well designed and great sounding phono stage based entirely on discrete transistor circuitry. Well in the end, it sounds great with my Shure M97xE so what am I talking about? Regards, Felix. If the Shure M97xE has a deliberate treble roll-off (correctly C-weighted), maybe the Rothwell includes Allen Wright's 50KHz boost which compensates for this? (Which I added to the "Phantom Audio" that you now have.) And btw, the Phantom Audio can handle both a 0.3mV MC and a 5mV MM. All I needed to do was turn up my preamp volume control more, with my Benz LP. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batty Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 I have cut back on my Phono stage addiction, I currently now only own a Vincent PHO-8 (MM & MC) and the Akitika (MM). I do however have another 'box' with 2 step up devices inside, a battery operated Boozehound Labs Pre Pre and a pair of 1:10 SUTs. I am also considering another DIY head amp build based around 2N4401 and 2N4403 transistors. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman Posted November 26, 2017 Author Share Posted November 26, 2017 (edited) G'day all, the plot thickens! Listening to a couple of my other phono stages it is apparent that only the Schiit Mani and the Rothwell Simplex have this crispness/bite that sounds so good with my M97xE. My conclusions: either these two phono stages have some deliberate? RIAA 'voicing' or some other factor is at play, like possible high frequency distortion. I mostly discount that possibility, but there has to be a reason for the crispness/bite! Regards, Felix. Edited November 26, 2017 by catman Spelling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wimbo Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 I try not to listen to HiFi anymore. As long as the system sounds good tome, thats enough. Although I am looking out for a cheap valve preamp thats good or a valve phono stage with a potentiometer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman Posted November 26, 2017 Author Share Posted November 26, 2017 G'day mate, the fact that phono stages can sound so different despite specs suggesting otherwise is actually starting to get to me, and frankly I am quickly tiring of it! Regards, Felix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussievintage Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 You need to listen to some more music, instead of phono stages. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogicprObe Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 49 minutes ago, aussievintage said: You need to listen to some more music, instead of phono stages. Some might say that a decent record cleaner may be more important! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crisis Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 2 hours ago, catman said: G'day all, the plot thickens! Listening to a couple of my other phono stages it is apparent that only the Schiit Mani and the Rothwell Simplex have this crispness/bite that sounds so good with my M97xE. My conclusions: either these two phono stages have some deliberate? RIAA 'voicing' or some other factor is at play, like possible high frequency distortion. I mostly discount that possibility, but there has to be a reason for the crispness/bite! Regards, Felix. Or they are simply more transparent? I found the Mani to be a revelation in the area of detail. Some consider this to be brightness and many who prefer vinyl eschew such things but for me it brought out all that is good, yes, good, about CD. 1 hour ago, aussievintage said: You need to listen to some more music, instead of phono stages. It is a slippery slope and I am feeling my grip giving way... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rantan Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 2 minutes ago, crisis said: Or they are simply more transparent? I found the Mani to be a revelation in the area of detail. Some consider this to be brightness and many who prefer vinyl eschew such things but for me it brought out all that is good, yes, good, about CD. It is a slippery slope and I am feeling my grip giving way... I have an excellent phono stage in my amplifier and my grip is limpet like. It is not and never has been, an elimination event for me and I enjoy and celebrate the differences. I neither need ,nor want, another phono stage. It's not unlike cable swapping to colour the sound to suit one's biases. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crisis Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 3 minutes ago, rantan said: I have an excellent phono stage in my amplifier and my grip is limpet like. It is not and never has been, an elimination event for me and I enjoy and celebrate the differences. I neither need ,nor want, another phono stage. It's not unlike cable swapping to colour the sound to suit one's biases. It is surely entirely like that. The problem is you (me) are always telling yourself "its good but, can it be better!!!!!!" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rantan Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 2 minutes ago, crisis said: It is surely entirely like that. The problem is you (me) are always telling yourself "its good but, can it be better!!!!!!" So true. However there are many more productive areas in which system enhancement can be achieved 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weavzy Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Hi Felix Do you listen to your Lounge Audio LCR III much? Ive hadmine a couple of months now, and i cant believe the improvement its had on my system!! One of the best system upgrades I've ever made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman Posted November 26, 2017 Author Share Posted November 26, 2017 G'day mate, yes it's a phono stage with a very unique 'sound', that might be a little polarising, I'll be honest in saying that! I know of one particular reviewer who doesn't really like it much. However I do like it and I appreciate its excellent engineering! Regards, Felix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevoz Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 15 hours ago, crisis said: It is surely entirely like that. The problem is you (me) are always telling yourself "its good but, can it be better!!!!!!" The answer to your last question should be....."If it involves too much money for minimal gain......don't bother.' That's what most add on's deliver, minimal gain. Just be happy with what you've got, or keep spinning the changes like a pokies junkie and see your money disappear...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman Posted November 29, 2017 Author Share Posted November 29, 2017 G'day all, yes another one of those types of threads, I'm afraid! Regarding phono stage design I've been doing some heavy technical reading tonight, and it is apparent that some really good sounding phono stages may not be technically 'that good', yet are highly regarded because there are indeed 'good sounding'. Yes, my head hurts! The question is, which would I rather have? Regards, Felix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogicprObe Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 Geeze................I always thought bad sounding was best. Woe is me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deuced Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 Who cares? You're the judge of your music through your equipment. Also it's not like some person's comments about gear will suddenly increase/decrease its performance in your system so why should it affect your impressions? I read reviews/impressions before I buy gear, not after. Life's better that way. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman Posted November 29, 2017 Author Share Posted November 29, 2017 G'day all, yes it is quite a conundrum but in my heart as a trained technician I know what the technical truth really is! Regards, Felix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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