Is it possible to "upgrade" my phono stage?

[WDeranged]

I think of it more like a what shade of lipstick do you like on your pig?

That gave me a laugh. It's mostly true. Phono stages (Unlike DACs) do sound noticeably different and at the end of the day it's a deeply flawed format. I still love it though.

 

[Angsty]

I'm still slightly in the dark when it comes to preamp headroom. No one seems to know exactly how important it is with regards to surface noise. I've spoken to a few designers who have produced "low headroom" preamps and none of them seem concerned at all, except in the case of deep scratches. I veer towards the belief that the pops and clicks we tolerate as a part of the vinyl experience won't be affected. Only a huge impulse (from physical damage) could result in a signal louder than what has been pressed into the vinyl.

Having said that. I would really love to test a Darlington Labs preamp. They have a mystical reputation for veiling pops and clicks..

Headroom matters because you don't want to drive the preamp into clipping, either with source content or pops/clicks. The extended recovery time for the preamp when driven into clipping can create additional distortion versus keeping the amplifier in its linear operating range. Like NAD does with its “soft clipping” circuitry in power amps, I believe it’s possible to reduce the distortion impact from preamp clipping in multiple ways.

That said, I don’t know how much it matters in audibility in vinyl playback. I’m sure there are studies somewhere from the past 60 years that address that.

 

[Angsty]

In continuing to beat horses, even a single designer can create different preamp designs at multiple price points to address headroom, linearity and frequency response in various ways.

The review below of Fidler’s Spartan/MM Pro series is an example. None of the design results may be measurably “bad” for the medium, but the results can be different and sound different as a result.

Looking past the subjective review, you can read that the Spartan 5 is single stage amplifier, the Spartan 15 is a double stage and the MM Pro is a triple stage design. Additionally, the 5 has an unregulated linear power supply versus the the 15 and MM Pro which have highly regulated linear supplies. Power delivery is one way to influence how a preamp will sound and the use of multiple amplification stages can influence RIAA accuracy, noise and distortion.

Phono Stage Comparison – Classic Audio Spartan & Pro, Pro-Ject, Ifi - Audio Appraisal

The review below was kindly contributed by Nipper Varney. Michael Fidler of Classic Audio asked me if I would consider publishing a review of his latest Spartan 15 phonostage contributed by Nipper.…

www.audioappraisal.com

 

[4D_Coaxial_Cube]

In continuing to beat horses, even a single designer can create different preamp designs at multiple price points to address headroom, linearity and frequency response in various ways.

The review below of Fidler’s Spartan/MM Pro series is an example. None of the design results may be measurably “bad” for the medium, but the results can be different and sound different as a result.

Looking past the subjective review, you can read that the Spartan 5 is single stage amplifier, the Spartan 15 is a double stage and the MM Pro is a triple stage design. Additionally, the 5 has an unregulated linear power supply versus the the 15 and MM Pro which have highly regulated linear supplies. Power delivery is one way to influence how a preamp will sound and the use of multiple amplification stages can influence RIAA accuracy, noise and distortion.

Phono Stage Comparison – Classic Audio Spartan & Pro, Pro-Ject, Ifi - Audio Appraisal

The review below was kindly contributed by Nipper Varney. Michael Fidler of Classic Audio asked me if I would consider publishing a review of his latest Spartan 15 phonostage contributed by Nipper.…

www.audioappraisal.com

Have you perhaps heard the Spartan 15 compared and the Skoll?

 

[Angsty]

Have you perhaps heard the Spartan 15 compared and the Skoll?

No. I’m done with the phono upgrade game with my Bryston. I do still enjoy reading about design differences between new phonos. I continue to learn what makes them tick.