Phono Preamp Suggestions?

hochpt21

Mikey081057 wrote: »

I take it you are at a loss for words...

I think this thing might be trouble

I put on Norah which is my personal reference album. It sounds as good as I've heard the album before.

I then put on Mumford and Sons - Wilder Mind. It lacks all dynamics. Sounds super compressed.

Next is my recent RTI repress of Miles Davis KOB. Unreal sounding. Best I've ever heard this album sound.

I say trouble above, because it seems that this may be good at making great recordings sound great and poor ones sound poor. Guess I'll only have to play great recordings

It will be difficult to compare this unit to anything I've had before as I am using it with different gear. Also, I am changing a lot of components at once which I know is not ideal. Finally, I anticipate the tubes, budgie, new gold stylus and the PS Audio power cable to all need time to break in.

If things improve upon break in I will be in a very good place, as this current setup sound outstanding today as it stands with the right pressings.

hochpt21

msg wrote: »

Nice, Mike. Definitely interested to hear your impressions.
I must sheepishly admit that after five days, my curiosity got the better of me, and I broke down and ordered one, too, just this morning. I've got a problem, but "I swear, after this, I'm done. I really mean it this time."

Mine was unit #419. So you must have gotten the magic 420?

voltz

It will need some burn in time too, so it will get better and settled down a bit as you enjoy it.

msg

hochpt21 wrote: »

msg wrote: »

Nice, Mike. Definitely interested to hear your impressions.
I must sheepishly admit that after five days, my curiosity got the better of me, and I broke down and ordered one, too, just this morning. I've got a problem, but "I swear, after this, I'm done. I really mean it this time."

Mine was unit #419. So you must have gotten the magic 420?

haha, I'll let you know in the afternoon, maaaaaaaan, if I remember.

that would be pretty cool, though.
Mike - what number is yours? be cool if we got three consecs

Mikey081057

421... Looks like we made Shannon have a good week...

msg

nice, haha, feels kinda like I'm waiting for a lottery drawing

Mikey081057

a lottery with tubes

msg

@JuanR made this contribution on Mike's Music Hall ad. I thought it was pretty good, so quoting it here for those interested/following along.

JuanR wrote: »

I love the Budgie myself, My Budgie was modified with Mundorf capacitors. You must definitely switch out those EH Tubes, I use Siemens, Telefunken, Mullards and they all sound FANTASTIC! Believe it or not though, my Budgie is currently sitting on the shelf because I am using the internal phono that is in my Rogue preamp, but not because I don't love it. Hopefully the picture I attached comes out.

JuanR wrote: »

hochpt21

Not sure if we want to create a separate budgie thread? Or if this one is good enough.

Anyways, I e-mailed Shannon about alternate tubes and this was his response....

"I really like the EH 6922 - they just are very consistently low distortion and low noise. Otherwise I like to use old stock tubes, like Amperex 6DJ8s and Russian 6N23P tubes from eBay."

Mikey081057

Should that be a 6H23P ?

Mikey081057

Actually I see them both ways.. they are all 6922 equivalents?

motorhead43026

This Budgie on my list for 2016, as is a decent turntable.

msg

hochpt21 wrote: »

Not sure if we want to create a separate budgie thread? Or if this one is good enough.

Anyways, I e-mailed Shannon about alternate tubes and this was his response....
"I really like the EH 6922 - they just are very consistently low distortion and low noise. Otherwise I like to use old stock tubes, like Amperex 6DJ8s and Russian 6N23P tubes from eBay."

I'm cool with it here if you guys like, but agree that it might be easier to find/reference if we do start a new one. Paul, you want to head that up? and we can quote some of the info already gathered here?

Mikey081057 wrote: »

Actually I see them both ways.. they are all 6922 equivalents?

I also asked Shannon whether he had any favorite tube recipes other than included, and he responded similarly with what Paul received.
?

motorhead43026 wrote: »

This Budgie on my list for 2016, as is a decent turntable.

doo eet maaan. join the Collective

Mikey081057

msg wrote: »

hochpt21 wrote: »

Not sure if we want to create a separate budgie thread? Or if this one is good enough.

Anyways, I e-mailed Shannon about alternate tubes and this was his response....
"I really like the EH 6922 - they just are very consistently low distortion and low noise. Otherwise I like to use old stock tubes, like Amperex 6DJ8s and Russian 6N23P tubes from eBay."

I'm cool with it here if you guys like, but agree that it might be easier to find/reference if we do start a new one. Paul, you want to head that up? and we can quote some of the info already gathered here?

Mikey081057 wrote: »

Actually I see them both ways.. they are all 6922 equivalents?

?

Re: tubes, I asked Shannon whether he had any favorite tube recipes other than included, and he responded similarly with what Paul received.

motorhead43026 wrote: »

This Budgie on my list for 2016, as is a decent turntable.

doo eet maaan. join the Collective

You can always do this...

forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/171433/music-hall-mmf-5-1-tt#latest

Mikey081057

I won't ask him the same question then..

Mikey081057

Tubes + Vinyl = Sweet as Fork

msg

current listening session?

erniejade

In my cayin sacd I am using Siemens gold pin I got from upscale

Mikey081057

msg wrote: »

current listening session?

Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti

msg

hehe, I was just meaning more was that an observation from a current session.
PG's a nice one for a vinyl session.
I'm going to be setting some stuff up tonight.

Mikey081057

LOL

Working while listening... Trying to get my hours on the Budgie....and getting in a rhythm of getting up every 20

msg

I present to you, Parks Audio, Budgie Phono Preamp #426...
This is what it looked like when I removed it from the box, and I swear there was an angel's chorus

Mikey081057

Hi #426... welcome to CP

#421

msg

Mikey081057 wrote: »

LOL
Working while listening... Trying to get my hours on the Budgie....and getting in a rhythm of getting up every 20

To flip sides, or too much coffee and the bladder of a woman on a roadtrip?

Mikey081057

yes,,,yes,,,not quite yes...

Mikey081057

msg wrote: »

I present to you, Parks Audio, Budgie Phono Preamp #426...
This is what it looked like when I removed it from the box, and I swear there was an angel's chorus

Beuhler?

msg

Not yet Wilson!

Don't laugh - I'm still struggling with getting a cartridge properly aligned on the 1210

msg

Okay, just got it set up. Using my practice/learning setup right now, which is an old weathered Technics SL-1510 with a very entry level AT10 cart of unknown history and condition.

Introducing the Budgie to the system - I have to say, it's pret-ty smooth right out of the box. Very pleasing and extremely listenable without any tweaks. I did a quick check for cart load setting, and didn't even have to change the Exacta - just running the default 1000 for 47Ω load.

Here's the weird thing. I'm noticing some odd intermittent background noise at system idle if I put my ear to the speaker. Something's not right. I need to check some cabling and get some stuff better organized. I'm a complete vinyl beginner at this point, and I think I'm running into some of those issues I've read about with cable shielding/interference.


A note to the original topic of this thread, having had some great recommendations on the phono preamps to get me started, and not being able to really decide properly based on the info and reviews I'd been reading, and completely obliterating my control boundaries on this project, I ended up picking up three phono pre's to audition for an indeterminate period of time at this point. Eventually I will settle on one or two, but for now, I'll be playing with the following on a proper Technics SL-1210 (that I still have to set up) and on a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon that a most generous friend here offered to let me borrow.

• Vincent Pho-8 << reviewed to be romantic
• Lounge LCR << reviewed to be one of the absolute best values around, and unbelievably underrated in terms of performance, and not just for its price-point. reviewed to be musical, dynamic, liquid, and just plain fun leading to album after album listening sessions
• Budgie << the buzz around here on this one, other members experience with Park Audio SUTs, and the fact that it's tubed - which was what I was originally looking for - is what tipped me into this one.

In the time its taken me to write this entry, I stopped a short while ago to flip sides on The Stone Roses debut release, and at idle, that intermittent background noise was absent. Warmup?

Lastly - and I was advised of this early on - I really think we're gonna need a RCM of some sort at some point, or at the very least some way of cleaning records. This is turning out to be the most incredibly involved leg of this hobby for me so far, but I have to say, I really think it's been the most enjoyable and engaging in my experience so far over the past two years. Not sure what to make of that quite just yet.

Mikey081057

Some thoughts and tweaks..

Ground wire to your TT Pre and Phono Pre?

Short good cable of low capacitance is critical between TT and Pre..

Get all cables away form power cords.

Turn off TV or any other RFI emitters around. No fluorescent lights...

Clean your stylus with the Mr. Clean Magic eraser method.

msg

good tips all, and all currently neglected.

Quick question - do you guys notice that the input signal strength from the phono pre to the preamp/receiver seems lower that of digital inputs signal strength? Seems like it requires more volume knob with phono than with digital sources.