Phono Stage...

[ncdrawl]

I am in dire need of a phono stage. I am new at vinyl and just inherited a NAD 533.

I love this community, and as such I would like to purchase a phono stage from someone here...was wondering if anyone could perhaps build one of the phono stages talked about on these pages for me?

the EAR clone looks nice, I love SET amps and Tubes in general, but I am not absolutely married to that piece..

any help or a point in the right direction would be much appreciated.

[kmaier]

The EAR design does look interesting... might actually build one for testing. It is a feedback EQ however. There are some good passive EQ designs as well. There are also some less expensive phono kits around if you're handy with an iron.

It helps to think about what price range you're considering and whether you are really looking for tube or solid-state. You also need to consider the cartridge you're using, it's output level, loading, etc. An EAR could cost considerably more than a SS unit in parts alone. So a few things to weigh and consider.

I also like (prefer) true SET amps... have built quite a few over the years. Output power is usually limited, meaning high sensitivity speakers. I still use the 45 triode... a superb sounding setup but only 2 watts. A 2A3 design can add 3dB of headroom. Anyway, put some thought into your phono preamp decision... there are seemingly endless choices.

Regards, KM