Hi,

Hope someone can give me a spot of advice. Just bought my first ever tube amp (CJ MV55) and I would like to get a tube phono stage to compliment.

At the moment I'm looking at two options a Pro-ject Tube box SE Mk II at £300 new or an EAR 834p SE at about £350ish 2nd hand.


I suspect most will say the EAR is better, but the advantage of the pro-ject is it's a neat looking unit and it has options for setting the loading which the EAR doesn't.

What do you all think is variable load setting important?

Thanks


Ian

Where did you get that Pro-ject Tube box SE Mk II price tag?
£300 ?

In Spain it costs only 250,00€ !

Fromm noteworthy Audio in Aylesbury Here

Sorry, my mistake.
I thought you're talking about the Pro-ject Tube box Mk II.

And yes, the option of a variable load setting from the Pro-ject Tube box SE Mk II is imho an important option. Even tough, moving coil cartridges are said to be less susceptible to capacitive loading than MM's.

Here's an interesting link:

Cartridge Loading

I´ve never heard either of the units being discussed here, but price alone is not the sole indicative of quality.

Tim de Paravicini´s reputation preceeds him, but Project has taken big strides on vinyl related equipment of late too.

A suggestion in the dark is, therefore, a bit risky, to put it mildly. Moreover, just like with cartridges and speakers personal taste is determinat. Have you no chance of auditioning them even if in separate locations?

I fully accept that price is far from the only factor. However I also believe that any audition unless it is done in your own home with your own equipment is by and large useless. These is especially true with items like cartridges & phono stages. I've bought too much stuff on the basis of showroom demos only to be dissapointed when installed at home. I am equally certain their is plenty of kit which I have dismissed which may well have sounded wonderfull when paired with my kit.

If I buy blind, which I often do these days. I will buy mostly kit that I know that I can re-sell afterwards without losing too much.

In any event I have done just that and bought an Icon Audio PS1 for £600 largely because of the volume control, which means I can by-pass a pre-amp and go direct to my power amp.

If it turns out to be a mistake, i'll just stick it on ebay and pretty much guarantee to get over £500 for it, so not too much of a risk.