Go with separates or integrated?
Subscribe to Ask Paul Ask a QuestionWhen selecting as phono preamplifier is it true that built in phono stages suck? Paul gives us a pretty good idea of what's going on inside.
COMMENTS
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
How does the original 1973 vintage PS Audio phono preamp based on 709 op amps compare with the latest Stellar preamp?
I just bought a Stellar Gain ell Preamp, and I feed it with the phono stage from my early 80’s Yamaha C-2X preamp. Honestly, I bought the GainCell because of the digital capabilities and remote volume control. The Yamaha is an extremely musical piece of gear with a highly regarded phono stage (even if the anti Japanese “high enders” of the day turned their nose up at it).
Some of your older vintage Japanese receivers before digital had great phono stages built in. I would stay away from the modern receiver unless you did your homework and some modern day company decided to take receiver quality seriously. Not too long ago there were some receivers and preamplifiers in the late 90’s and early 2000’s like Proton and NAD who made some really good phono stages in their receivers and integrated amps with capacitance switches and both MM and MC capabilities. We need more of those today. Creek Audio made integrated amplifiers and preamplifiers with phono output RCA jacks that did nothing unless you purchased their phono board separately and took the cover off the unit and snapped a vertical phono board into the available slots, so people who had no use for or didn’t want their phono stage didn’t have to pay for it.
Definitely agree with Joe B.
Go with what you can afford.