Phonostage

[Malmbak]

Hi! I’m new here - and a new owner of two Golds. 

I’m looking for a nice phonostage with optical out and have zeroed in on the Mcintosh MP100. Has anybody heard that with the phantoms? 

Pro-ject also has the Prebox DS2 Digital which is also on the radar. 


Thank you in advance

Mads

[Jamington2004]

Hi! I’m new here - and a new owner of two Golds. 

I’m looking for a nice phonostage with optical out and have zeroed in on the Mcintosh MP100. Has anybody heard that with the phantoms? 

Pro-ject also has the Prebox DS2 Digital which is also on the radar. 


Thank you in advance

Mads

I use a M2tech Joplin MKii - which I find amazingly good

[Malmbak]

Thanks. Now that is also on the radar?

[Jamington2004]

Another option if you don’t mind 2 boxes, is to use any phono stage you like - and put it through an A2D with optical out

I reccomend the dspeaker antimode 2 as it has EQ and Room Correction as a bonus!

I only switched as I wanted 1 box to simplify and stop me box swapping! And also theoretically the Joplin has a higher spec A2D chip.... but not sure I would be able to tell the difference, and anyway impossible to compare as the phono stage is built in so you don’t know what’s doing what

What’s your TT / Phono Stage? Joplin might be overkill unless it’s quite high spec. But it does have red digital VU meter on the display which looks great

[Mr_Bill]

PS Audio Nuwave Phono Converter is what u r looking for.

[Malmbak]

Another option if you don’t mind 2 boxes, is to use any phono stage you like - and put it through an A2D with optical out

I reccomend the dspeaker antimode 2 as it has EQ and Room Correction as a bonus!

I only switched as I wanted 1 box to simplify and stop me box swapping! And also theoretically the Joplin has a higher spec A2D chip.... but not sure I would be able to tell the difference, and anyway impossible to compare as the phono stage is built in so you don’t know what’s doing what

What’s your TT / Phono Stage? Joplin might be overkill unless it’s quite high spec. But it does have red digital VU meter on the display which looks great

I have a Mørch turntable with his UP-4 arm. And a Grado Silver Prestige cartridge. Decent setup but maybe not quite up to Joplin or Mcintosh MP100 standards. However, I am looking for a phonostage that will last me through the next upgrades in cartridge and tonearm. And also work if I move on from the Phantom Golds.

M2tech also make the Evo Phonodac 2. Maybe that is a contender?

[Malmbak]

PS Audio Nuwave Phono Converter is what u r looking for.

That was my first thought, but you need a second "box" to convert USB to optical. It's a bummer, really, because you can get quite cheap used. 

Thank you for your reply.

[ogs]

@Malmbak "M2tech also make the Evo Phonodac 2. Maybe that is a contender?"

I do not think the optical output on this unit is a 'normal' SPDIF out. Seems it only transmits clock info to another M2tech box. The only way to find out is to ask M2tech...