I was told by Music Direct that I will hear a significant different between the XRM and JC3 Jr. The blacks will be blacker and the detail of the music will be improved. So I ordered the JC3 Jr and will being doing a shootout between the NAD phono pre, the XRM and the JC3 Jr. I will report back here on what I found.I just ordered the XRM phono pre that I will be comparing to the phono pre in my NAD. I am thinking about getting the JC3 Jr as well and see if it makes any difference.
One thing to consider is the rest of your audio chain. If you have a $1,000 stereo, it may not allow you to hear all the details of a $5,000 stereo with better speakers, and amp. With the higher end stereo, you might be able to hear more of a difference with a better phono pre which might allow you to hear more details.
The 'expert' which this articles interviews works for McIntosh. Guess what brand comes out on top of all others? The underlying information may be correct as far as it goes, but biased pieces like this are all-to-pervasive on the internet. Yes, the McIntosh undoubtedly has excellent performance, but you are also paying a lot for the unnecessary packaging bling.Here is a solid article about phono pre's.
RIAA equalization is a form of pre-emphasis on recording and de-emphasis on playback. A recording is made with the low frequencies reduced and the high frequencies boosted, and on playback, the opposite occurs. The net result is a flat frequency response, but with attenuation of high-frequency noise such as hiss and clicks that arise from the recording medium. Reducing the low frequencies also limits the excursions the cutter needs to make when cutting a groove. Cheaper phono pre's of course will not perform as well as better phono pre's with cheaper parts.
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What’s the Difference Between a $100 and a $2,000 Phono Preamp?
You already have a turntable and a pair of bookshelf speakers. Now you need a phono preamp. So, how much should you spend?www.gearpatrol.com
There was virtually nothing useful in that article. Did you link to the right one?Here is a solid article about phono pre's.
RIAA equalization is a form of pre-emphasis on recording and de-emphasis on playback. A recording is made with the low frequencies reduced and the high frequencies boosted, and on playback, the opposite occurs. The net result is a flat frequency response, but with attenuation of high-frequency noise such as hiss and clicks that arise from the recording medium. Reducing the low frequencies also limits the excursions the cutter needs to make when cutting a groove. Cheaper phono pre's of course will not perform as well as better phono pre's with cheaper parts.
![]()
What’s the Difference Between a $100 and a $2,000 Phono Preamp?
You already have a turntable and a pair of bookshelf speakers. Now you need a phono preamp. So, how much should you spend?www.gearpatrol.com