Iron Chef - Phono Stage !

Ok, time to start spinning LP's this afternoon. Below is the new Tavish Design Classic.

TavishClassicInHouse.jpg

This really is sort of a competition, as there's a 30 day trial where I can return it if desired. (less a restocking fee)

I fully realized that it may be a lateral move from the Phonomena II, which is a fairly decent stage in it's own right. But once you've run tubes for a while, it's hard to go cold turkey. ;)

One album I use for comparisons is Eric Clapton's "Unplugged". It's very familiar, just listening for the vocals, the bass (I think there's a foot or heel thumping on the stage at times), acoustic guitar, plus the various little percussion items like wood blocks and triangles etc. Not a bad sounding live album.

The Classic acquitted itself pretty well on that first outing. Top end is decently extended. A little less sibilance on some vocals, which is there as part of the recording. Bass was fully present but a little less ripe. It's really not a night and day difference between the two, but more time will aid the comparison.

As the albums progress there's perhaps a little opacity which is familiar - kind of like when I used the JJ ECC83S, ECC803, and EL84 in other amps. We'll see if that remains, because one of the reasons the Classic was chosen over the Vintage (with 6SL7's) was to be able to use my modest stash of RCAs, Sylvanias, and Raytheons.
 
Tubes matter. It took me a while to zero in on the right nos tubes for my BAT phono stage and preamp but once I found them the results were glorious.
 
Tubes matter. It took me a while to zero in on the right nos tubes for my BAT phono stage and preamp but once I found them the results were glorious.
I had initially thought to give it a couple weeks with the stock tubes. My resolve is being tested....

The stock input tube is a 5751. Whereas I have often read about people swapping 5751's into 12ax7 positions without modification this unit actually has a switch to adjust the heater current for either tube. I only have a pair of 5751, black plate Raytheons w/windmill getters. Looking forward to trying them.
 
So I lasted until the day after my prior post to try rolling some tubes. The Raytheon 5751 opened up another level of detail compared with the stock JJ. Currently its equipped with the Raytheon 5751, and grey long plate Sylvania in the 12ax7 and 12au7 positions. The Sylvania are Baldwin organ stock.

Today I compared the Classic with the Phonomena. It is a lateral move in some ways, but there is enough good things going on to keep the Classic here. It's not perfect by any stretch, but it works well with the 1.0 mv Grado woody and is a bit of a PRaT demon in comparison to the Phonomena.

Nice to have a little glow in the system again.
 
I can't argue with your plan or result one bit. When I have my full rig out, a tubed phono stage is just enough tube magic. My stage is very susceptible to different tubes. Congrats on finding something you like!
 
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