Thanks for watching! Drop your comments and questions below. If you'd like to support the channel, check the video description for many DISCOUNT CODES codes to enjoy money off various products and feed your vinyl habit! (I earn a small commission - no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!
Excellent video thanks. Am looking to upgrade from a Cambridge audio azure 551p. Project phono box ds2 or the Moon 110lp in your opinion? The tube box seems a bit pricey. System is Project debut pro with 2m Blue going into latest Sonos amp with sub. Monitor Audio silver 300 speakers. I therefore have plenty of power and bass. Thanks
The Phono Box DS2 is an absolute bargain at the moment (at least in the U.K. at £250 as it’s about to be replaced). The Moon is much more compact as it uses Dip switches instead of front panel buttons to adjust cartridge loading. How much swapping of cartridges do you plan on doing? If you plan on having a mix of moving magnet and moving coil, the Project will make swapping a lot easier. Both sound very good in my experience.
@@soundmatters Thanks Marc Not planning on much cartridge swapping... but who knows. I suppose I just wanted to know if you thought the Moon sounded a lot better. The Phono Box DS2 looks a bargain (if nearly as good)
Hi there, I've been watching your videos on various phono stages and I'm struggling to work out if I should go higher or lower on price or even bother at all - no fault of your videos which are brilliant by the way!! I have a Cambridge Audio Alva S2 turntable with an AT VM95E cartridge and stylus and a Marantz PM 6007 amplifier coupled to Wharfdale 220 speakers as space is super tight on the speaker front! The question is, do I even need a phono stage and if so how far should I go without the laws of 'diminishing returns' on a budget system kicking in? I would love to hear your thoughts on what the benefits of an additional phono stage would be for an amp that has a supposedly decent built-in internal phono stage like the PM6007 - I have no idea if it's good or not! Many thanks, Paul
Hey Paul! Thanks for watching and for your kind words. Yes, I get your dilemma! I haven't heard the Marantz phono stage in person, but I hear all the time about how good it is for a built-in option. Usually, I would say start with your cartridge for the best dollar-for-dollar (or pound-for-pound in my case), return on your sound quality, and then go from there. In most cases, an external phono preamp will do a better job than any built-in phono stage, if only because the device is designed and dedicated to do one job and one job alone. Granted, that is a generalization, but it makes sense that a separate device with well-chosen components, kept separate from other circuits, would sound better. I would say, consider what your potential upgrade path might be. Do you ever see yourself plunging for a moving coil cartridge? If not, this may help with your decision. The good news is, your turntable has a detachable headshell, which will make comparing cartridges much easier for you. Once again. Thank you for being a subscriber and I hope this helps
@@soundmatters Thank you so much for getting back to me - it feels like the path to finding my favourite vinyl listening experience will be informed but ultimately experimental and lots of fun! Moving coil sounds a bit high end for now and I'm more inclined to explore moving magnet a bit further, so the Cambridge Audio Solo and the Graham Slee Gram Amp 2SE have caught my eye as well as ther Rega Fono mk5 - this is my attempt at keeping things as simple as possible! I never thought about the detachable headshell though, so thankyou - I may also invest in the Ortofon blue that you use! Thanks for your informative channel and I look forwad to viewing the next installment!
Don't bother with those phono stages go with the classic audio spartan 15, at 330£ be better than the Graham slee whats is overpriced and not as good. Have a look at the goldring carts the E3 a lot better than the Ortofon blue as long as your system is not over bright, or if you can push your budget the 1022gx or 1042. contact Michael fiddler is a great guy helpful will explain tell you a lot about his preamp it's a no brain not to buy one and for really cheap you can improve your arm dramatically by moving the counter weight right back as far as it will go into the middle maybe a pound coin might be enough or a weight for a wheel balance we'll do the trick KwikFit probably let you have a heavy one or similar place. Make sure it's stuck at the bottom underneath of the counterweight it will make your compliance of your arm a lot better and track a lot better. @@paulmorrison1325
Overall, they're I would say yes, but there isn't that much in it. I do like the musicality of tubes though. The other aspect with the Project Tube Box is the ability to change settings on the fly - handy when swapping cartridges for reviews etc etc. Plus, I plan, hopefully, to add a dedicated mono setup in this room one day, so the ability to plug in two turntables to the same preamp is rather handy too.
At the minute im just using an Onkyo avr as an amp which doesnt have a phono amp and i want to use a turntable. What would be the best choice for me?Either buy a phono amp such as the ifi zen or save up the extra and buy an amp (£500-£800 price range) with a built in phonoamp. What would give me the best sound? Any advice appreciated
Do you mean is it worth paying more than twice the price? In this price bracket, the Moon 110 is a great option that can do MM and MC. The MC Pro by Michael Fidler is quieter than this when running a moving coil cartridge (I compared them), but then that is the advantage of a dedicated gain stage for MC only. The moon110 performs very well for an affordable option that covers both
@@soundmatters the only reason I ask is because I have the moon ace and a gold note is-1000 deluxe. The phono pre amp in the more expensive and well reviewed italian gold note doesn’t sound any better than the ace. It sounds different, but not really better. Turntable is a technics gr with a ortofon black, speakers are klipsch forte 4s and totem forest sigs
The same price you can get the classic audio MC pro phono stage better than the project a real game changer even the lower model at half the price. Young English company you should check it out
Thank you. Do I see DIP switches at 3:05 at this device? Why in the hell DIP switches in the year 2023? This is a „NO-GO!“. Sorry, Moon. I know again, why I love my Gold Note pre amp.
Because a phono cartridge puts out a very low power signal, and must be amplified. ELECTRONIC amplification is an analog process, not a digital one, in most cases. Preferably class A or A/B which would be purely analog. And you dont want an interpretation of the analog signal, just an amplification of the original without altering it if at all possible.
@@edlamb9940The very fact that you are rating and reviewing one phono preamp over another shows that there is more than "straight" amplification going on. Somebody designed this preamp to sound "better" than others on the market. Your statement, "without altering it if at all possible" points to that issue. Wouldn't they all sound the same without altering? And please don't think I am simply anti-vinyl. I started in the 60's with an entry Dual. Eventually wound up with a Thorens TD125, with a Grace tone arm, and Sonus cart. I think I have a solid feel for the plus/minus of vinyl.
Thanks for watching! Drop your comments and questions below. If you'd like to support the channel, check the video description for many DISCOUNT CODES codes to enjoy money off various products and feed your vinyl habit! (I earn a small commission - no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!
I didn't understand very well. Is it good for Ortofon 2M-Red or not? Thank you.
Excellent video thanks.
Am looking to upgrade from a Cambridge audio azure 551p.
Project phono box ds2 or the Moon 110lp in your opinion? The tube box seems a bit pricey.
System is Project debut pro with 2m Blue going into latest Sonos amp with sub. Monitor Audio silver 300 speakers.
I therefore have plenty of power and bass.
Thanks
The Phono Box DS2 is an absolute bargain at the moment (at least in the U.K. at £250 as it’s about to be replaced). The Moon is much more compact as it uses Dip switches instead of front panel buttons to adjust cartridge loading. How much swapping of cartridges do you plan on doing?
If you plan on having a mix of moving magnet and moving coil, the Project will make swapping a lot easier. Both sound very good in my experience.
@@soundmatters Thanks Marc
Not planning on much cartridge swapping... but who knows.
I suppose I just wanted to know if you thought the Moon sounded a lot better. The Phono Box DS2 looks a bargain (if nearly as good)
Excellent review. Thanks
Glad you enjoyed. Happy spinning 🎶🎧
Thanks for the review! Any chance we could get a comparison to the Pro-ject S3 Balanced, and the Cambridge Audio Alva Duo?
Thanks for watching! Alva Duo is in the works! Pro-Ject S3 I can probably get a sample of. The balanced stuff from them is interesting 🎶🎧
Hi there, I've been watching your videos on various phono stages and I'm struggling to work out if I should go higher or lower on price or even bother at all - no fault of your videos which are brilliant by the way!! I have a Cambridge Audio Alva S2 turntable with an AT VM95E cartridge and stylus and a Marantz PM 6007 amplifier coupled to Wharfdale 220 speakers as space is super tight on the speaker front! The question is, do I even need a phono stage and if so how far should I go without the laws of 'diminishing returns' on a budget system kicking in? I would love to hear your thoughts on what the benefits of an additional phono stage would be for an amp that has a supposedly decent built-in internal phono stage like the PM6007 - I have no idea if it's good or not! Many thanks, Paul
Hey Paul! Thanks for watching and for your kind words. Yes, I get your dilemma! I haven't heard the Marantz phono stage in person, but I hear all the time about how good it is for a built-in option. Usually, I would say start with your cartridge for the best dollar-for-dollar (or pound-for-pound in my case), return on your sound quality, and then go from there.
In most cases, an external phono preamp will do a better job than any built-in phono stage, if only because the device is designed and dedicated to do one job and one job alone. Granted, that is a generalization, but it makes sense that a separate device with well-chosen components, kept separate from other circuits, would sound better.
I would say, consider what your potential upgrade path might be. Do you ever see yourself plunging for a moving coil cartridge? If not, this may help with your decision.
The good news is, your turntable has a detachable headshell, which will make comparing cartridges much easier for you.
Once again. Thank you for being a subscriber and I hope this helps
@@soundmatters Thank you so much for getting back to me - it feels like the path to finding my favourite vinyl listening experience will be informed but ultimately experimental and lots of fun! Moving coil sounds a bit high end for now and I'm more inclined to explore moving magnet a bit further, so the Cambridge Audio Solo and the Graham Slee Gram Amp 2SE have caught my eye as well as ther Rega Fono mk5 - this is my attempt at keeping things as simple as possible! I never thought about the detachable headshell though, so thankyou - I may also invest in the Ortofon blue that you use! Thanks for your informative channel and I look forwad to viewing the next installment!
Don't bother with those phono stages go with the classic audio spartan 15, at 330£ be better than the Graham slee whats is overpriced and not as good. Have a look at the goldring carts the E3 a lot better than the Ortofon blue as long as your system is not over bright, or if you can push your budget the 1022gx or 1042. contact Michael fiddler is a great guy helpful will explain tell you a lot about his preamp it's a no brain not to buy one and for really cheap you can improve your arm dramatically by moving the counter weight right back as far as it will go into the middle maybe a pound coin might be enough or a weight for a wheel balance we'll do the trick KwikFit probably let you have a heavy one or similar place. Make sure it's stuck at the bottom underneath of the counterweight it will make your compliance of your arm a lot better and track a lot better. @@paulmorrison1325
I had the Moon110lp to bright got Pro-Ject phono box ultra 500 Pro-Ject Accu box s2 Moon killer
So did you ultimately prefer the Pro-Ject phono preamp over the Moon? (Assuming your living room setup is your secondary)
Overall, they're I would say yes, but there isn't that much in it. I do like the musicality of tubes though.
The other aspect with the Project Tube Box is the ability to change settings on the fly - handy when swapping cartridges for reviews etc etc. Plus, I plan, hopefully, to add a dedicated mono setup in this room one day, so the ability to plug in two turntables to the same preamp is rather handy too.
Any chance you can give your opinion on the Rothwell Simplex?
It's not one I've tried. I'll see if I can get hold of one for testing. Thanks for watching
Compared to other units, what’s your opinion on the Moon’s noise floor or EMI/RFI resistance?
At the minute im just using an Onkyo avr as an amp which doesnt have a phono amp and i want to use a turntable.
What would be the best choice for me?Either buy a phono amp such as the ifi zen or save up the extra and buy an amp (£500-£800 price range) with a built in phonoamp.
What would give me the best sound?
Any advice appreciated
Is it worth more than twice the price? I hear the real entry for a quality phono preamp is $2k.
Do you mean is it worth paying more than twice the price? In this price bracket, the Moon 110 is a great option that can do MM and MC. The MC Pro by Michael Fidler is quieter than this when running a moving coil cartridge (I compared them), but then that is the advantage of a dedicated gain stage for MC only. The moon110 performs very well for an affordable option that covers both
@@soundmatters the only reason I ask is because I have the moon ace and a gold note is-1000 deluxe. The phono pre amp in the more expensive and well reviewed italian gold note doesn’t sound any better than the ace. It sounds different, but not really better. Turntable is a technics gr with a ortofon black, speakers are klipsch forte 4s and totem forest sigs
The same price you can get the classic audio MC pro phono stage better than the project a real game changer even the lower model at half the price. Young English company you should check it out
Cool - would love to hear what it sounds like :)
Thank you. Do I see DIP switches at 3:05 at this device? Why in the hell DIP switches in the year 2023? This is a „NO-GO!“. Sorry, Moon. I know again, why I love my Gold Note pre amp.
I’d always prefer no DIP switches for sure 🎶
For a format that rests on being "more" analog and real, why all the focus on the ELECTRONIC amplification and interpretation of the analog signal?
Because a phono cartridge puts out a very low power signal, and must be amplified. ELECTRONIC amplification is an analog process, not a digital one, in most cases. Preferably class A or A/B which would be purely analog. And you dont want an interpretation of the analog signal, just an amplification of the original without altering it if at all possible.
@@edlamb9940The very fact that you are rating and reviewing one phono preamp over another shows that there is more than "straight" amplification going on. Somebody designed this preamp to sound "better" than others on the market. Your statement, "without altering it if at all possible" points to that issue. Wouldn't they all sound the same without altering? And please don't think I am simply anti-vinyl. I started in the 60's with an entry Dual. Eventually wound up with a Thorens TD125, with a Grace tone arm, and Sonus cart. I think I have a solid feel for the plus/minus of vinyl.
Moon killer pro-ject phono box ultra 500 s2 ultra
So right! Thought I was upgrading from the S2 Ultra to the Moon not even close went back to the S2 ultra