Recommend a low noise floor MC phono stage ~<$2000

[Mat-with-one-t]

2 hours ago, jakeyb77 said:

Funnily enough I got offered one this morning. 

I have decided to buy the Musical Surroundings one and see how that goes. If my appetite isn’t satisfied I will look at these. It was a long term shoot anyway. Just building opinions for research 

Did you go for the Nova 2?  Keen to hear outcome.  I wonder if it would benefit from a nice Clay linear power supply?

[Guest jakeyb77]

The plot thickens now. 

After some messing around. Moving the preamp back and forward. 

I have discovered the buzz seems to be a shielding issue which is not out of reality seeing the three huge ME power supplies in the area.

Any suggestions on placement or things I can do to limit this? @PonyTail or@Zaphod Beeblebrox?? 

It strangely is only really coming from the right channel. 

Edited February 18, 2019 by jakeyb77

[Wimbo]

11 minutes ago, jakeyb77 said:

The plot thickens now. 

After some messing around. Moving the preamp back and forward. 

I have discovered the buzz seems to be a shielding issue which is not out of reality seeing the three huge ME power supplies in the area.

Any suggestions on placement or things I can do to limit this? @PonyTail or@Zaphod Beeblebrox?? 

It strangely is only really coming from the right channel. 

Placement, placement placement.Move it right away from the infecting area mate. If what you say is the case. Long interconnects between pre and power should not be a problem.

[PonyTail]

The hum field from a power amplifier may be quite specific in area. The only ways to reduce it are Distance and Magnetic Shielding.

 

Electrical Shielding provided by an aluminium chassis is only half of the story. I built a power amplifier and preamplifier in the late 70's both in aluminium chassis and had to locate the preamplifier one rack unit below the power amplifier and had to add a 1.2mm thick galvanized steel plate on top of the preamplifier's aluminium top plate to get rid of the hum.

 

Being rack mounted I did not have the luxury of moving the preamplifier sideways.

[Guest jakeyb77]

Found it!! Was this frickin thing that came with my Klein DAC!! 

Aaaaaargh 

I just moved my ME850 with a bad back for nothing lol 

[muzzagruzz]

5 hours ago, jakeyb77 said:

Funnily enough I got offered one this morning. 

I have decided to buy the Musical Surroundings one and see how that goes. If my appetite isn’t satisfied I will look at these. It was a long term shoot anyway. Just building opinions for research 

That was my Musical Surroundings, as you probably know, and I found it to have very quiet backgrounds. Always used with LOMC cartridges and it produced great depth and detail. I was always staggered by the performance of this unit when comparing to the many others I've tried. I'd be interested in your thoughts once you've had a listen. 

 

It can be upgraded with the new Musical Surroundings external linear power supply - same chassis as the Phonomena II+. 

[Wimbo]

1 hour ago, jakeyb77 said:

Found it!! Was this frickin thing that came with my Klein DAC!! 

Aaaaaargh 

I just moved my ME850 with a bad back for nothing lol 

Sorry bout that mateGood you found the culprit.Take a couple of Andone and lay down. It will be fine in the morning. Triple hernias and 2 slipped discs here

[Guest jakeyb77]

10 minutes ago, Wimbo said:

Sorry bout that mateGood you found the culprit.Take a couple of Andone and lay down. It will be fine in the morning. Triple hernias and 2 slipped discs here

Jesus mate I can’t complain now can I. Sorry to hear that. Mine flares up now and then but nothing like yours. I feel for you. 

[t_mike]

Wall warts should be banned from audio. Good that you found it.

[PonyTail]

@jakeyb77

said "Aaaaaargh I just moved my ME850 with a bad back for nothing lol" 

 

Just stop complaining and be great full it wasn't a ME1400/1500 

[Guest Muon N']

4 hours ago, jakeyb77 said:

Found it!! Was this frickin thing that came with my Klein DAC!! 

Aaaaaargh 

I just moved my ME850 with a bad back for nothing lol 

Is that a box of assorted cables in the back ground?

[Guest jakeyb77]

6 hours ago, Muon N' said:

Is that a box of assorted cables in the back ground?

I knew someone would see that.... I’m ashamed to say that’s my spaghetti junction behind my cabinet... 

[Guest Muon N']

@jakeyb77 I've seen worse ;)

[markm1111]

I know @jakeyb77 ended up purchasing another Musical Surroundings phono, but for anyone else reading this thread whose budget can't extend to an RCM Sensor, my MS Nova II is very low noise (battery operated) and still available

 

 

 

[evil c]

I know [mention=152240]jakeyb77[/mention] ended up purchasing another Musical Surroundings phono, but for anyone else reading this thread whose budget can't extend to an RCM Sensor, my MS Nova II is very low noise (battery operated) and still available [emoji846]
 
 
 

I have a fondness for battery powered phono's- have owned two of them in fact.

Certainly takes care of cleaning up the noise floor, both mine were very clean sounding .

This would be a very good one to buy , silly jakeyb !! [emoji1]

[metal beat]

17 minutes ago, evil c said:

I have a fondness for battery powered phono's- have owned two of them in fact.

Certainly takes care of cleaning up the noise floor, both mine were very clean sounding .

This would be a very good one to buy , silly jakeyb !!

 

You don't find them lacking in macro dynamics? 

Every battery phono stagecI have heard have been nice for jazz etc, but not so good for rock/ electronic music.

Edited February 19, 2019 by metal beat

[andyr]

8 minutes ago, metal beat said:

You don't find them lacking in macro dynamics? 

Every battery phono stagecI have heard have been nice for jazz etc, but not so good for rock/ electronic music.

 

What a pity you weren't able to have a good listen to my 'Muse', Shane, all those years ago (on account of an electrical storm taking out one of your Wilson tweeters). 

 

Andy

 

[evil c]

 
You don't find them lacking in macro dynamics? 
Every battery phono stagecI have heard have been nice for jazz etc, but not so good for rock/ electronic music.

Can't say that I have, if I compared against my more expensive phono would obviously discern a difference in sound - but might well be system dependent what you're describing Shane.