RobbieGong and Andy (Smangus/Electronumpty) at Gong Towers

Hard to lay a budget when you're skint Olster, but you know us audio addicts (did you see what I did there?  ), we find a way. 

I'd have to go used to nail something really nice / at not daft money. 

I was looking at a Tom Evans Microgroove Plus Mk2 at around £500 but ultimately I think whilst regarded as really good phonostages, I get the impression that TE stages can lack body, from what I gather.

If I could find a used Black Graham Slee Accession MC, at the right price I'd pounce 

robbiegong

Keep your eye open for one of these;

www.hifiwigwam.com/forum/topic/144100-mc-phono-stage-salas-folded-simplistic-jfet/

Ignore the fact it's gonna be a DIY build done by someone else. They are pretty darn good, and if you can find one for £275...you'd be a happy chap.

I think a Graham Slee is unlikely to be much if any improvement on the OTP, it's a very similar topology.

Were you thinking of a Vincent Oli?

If I was in the market now for £4-500 and knowing what I know now I'd happily buy 2nd hand and wait for something from a more left field manufacturer to come up.

Plenty of choices in that range and with a lot of info/reviews by users online now. If you don't like it it would be fairly easy to move on at no or small loss I think.

Vertere Acoustics Phono-1 MkII!!!!! thats the one i couldn't remember.

may be tough to find at £500, but they have a high approval rating.

Depends what you plug into it I suppose.

Anyway, good luck with the search Rob 👍

www.hifi-forsale.co.uk/mobile/moreinfo.php?pid=93863&prodt=phonostage

This was highly rated by Andrew, who started Audio Addicts. May be worth a stab at.

I have a Michell ISO you can buy off of me, but not the Hera.
Used it with my Gyrodek worked very well - a change in the PSU will work wonders?

The Gongster won't know which way to look with all these offers!

If you are looking for something a bit left field I am thinking of selling my Salience now I have my BB3. Very highly regarded 2 boxes with separate power supply.

I think somebody needs to lend Rob their BB3 so he can really hear what his cartridge can do before he makes any decisions

I’ve tried all sorts up to 1500 quid retail money and the BB3 makes them all sound broken 😂 Whest 2.2 was second best which was better than the OTP, 2 graham slees and PSU1 I had here , a rega , a naim etc. not to mention the bits I listened to in store and at shows

From my own experience of box swapping Phonos every few months I would say dont rush into buying something for 500 quid right away because the urge is strong with the OTP in place , when you can save a bit longer and get a huge jump in performance from something like a bigbottle . I keep saying it but it’s one of the biggest bargains in Hifi and I stand by it. Don’t let the valve thing put you off trying one . A couple have popped up for around 600 quid in the classifieds . Stone cold bargains at that price . Nothing that comes close for that money

I need to send mine back to Oliver soon to turn into a one box jobby. You could happily try mine for a while if you can wait a while . My vinyl rig is collecting dust these days anyway so I won’t miss it

Yeah I hear ya mate . And it’s good of you to offer. I think when he hears one then that certainty to stay SS will change quite quickly . I’ve gone from SS , to fully valve and now back to SS but the BB3 has stayed throughout . I like both . It all sounds fab when done properly … like the phono is

Changing valves every 20000 hours is pretty much where you will find yourself, depending on the unit you buy. In the BB3, the envinment is such that i have been using the same 3 valves for about 2 years and they still measure absolutely fine.


i think what Karl is saying is that to rule out valve phonostages would be a mistake, and i absolutely agree, but i have the luxury of using top class SS and Valve phonostages and certainly wouldn't want to have to pick one type to stick with.

Andy,

This is top class membership points you are collecting here.

Well done sir, well done.