I would like some opinions on a phonostage. My set up is. NAC 52 with NAP 250 and 52PS.
I bought a Rega Planar 10 with Apheta 3. Now for the Phonostage. I initially bought a Superline and was about to get a Supercap DR when I was told for the budget I could do better with a Rega Aura, so I sent the Superline back without trying it as I didn’t have the snake connector. This had come with a hicap but neither got tried out. In the meantime I tried the built in Stageline N for mm and sounded ok. However as it’s not for low mc I decided in the interim to get a Stageline S and what a difference that’s made. Quite marvellous in fact. The question is how much better would the Superline have been with hicap and would the Supercap be an overkill? So I am kind of back to square one wondering what I need to get in order to deliver the dynamics the Apetha 3 with RP10 is designed to accomplish. Any ideas. Someone suggested Michael Fidler from Classic Audio Ltd. That he produces an excellent MC Pro phonostage for £650 that will compete with the Superline. It is difficult with legacy equipment to audition these options and others. Is Rega Aura the only real option here ?
You sound like someone that only reads reviews and buy’s based on reviews ?
What you actually need to do is stop swoping and changing, settle down and just listen.
Only then can YOU decide what works for you.
The Michael Fidler MC Pro is amazing on my P8. The build quality is second to none and a great guy to deal with. Very passionate about his work. Would be worth checking out, I’ve never heard the Superline but there’s a comparison of his MC pro against a Graham Slee on the tube which is worth watching/listening to.
looking for advice either from here or reviews is a valuable resource. especially true for someone may not have the financial capability to go through a bunch of phono stages.
or maybe even the critical listening skills to differentiate between them if lucky enough to “borrow” some for a weekend here and there
What a shame you sent back the Superline. If only you had heard just how good it is. It is a big step up from the Stageline, even when just powered by AUX2, and I can confirm from my own personal experience that it works brilliantly with the Apheta 3.
I run a GoldNote PH10 on both my P8 and my LP12. Excellent phono stage and can be adjusted for most cartridge loadings, both mm and mc. They also do a less expensive PH5 which I haven’t tried. A pre owned PH10 can be found for around the same orice as a new PH5.
Superline powered from the 52 would have been probably the best sound for outlay.
But once you start to add in the price off a supercap, and all the other bits you will probably need to go with it. Then thing’s start to change.
I would then go with the aura with your turntable/cartridge. Infact that’s what i did back then, and the pair are fantastic together as they should be really.
I suppose I could get it back with the hicap or would you rather power it on Aux 2. but then I don’t think I could send it back again and I would really like to here this mc Pro and Rega Aura
I might just then ask to get the Superline back without hicap. If it challenges the aura without the Supercap dr then it might just be the way to go. Can you just clarify what these cables are called on what they do and plug into l, that made it somewhat improved.
Others with the same cartridge as you who can tell you what the correct loading is for that cartridge. Alternatively, you can experiment yourself to see what sounds right to you.
Once you have the right loading plug in the back of the Superline (e.g. 453R or 576R), it ahould sound great.
If you want, you can then pay c.£160 for a Z-foil air-plug with the same rating. Cymbiosia sell them online if you have no dealer nearby.
Of course, if you find that you actually like an Aura (or any other phono stage) better, that isn’t wrong - we all hear a bit differently, have different preferences and systems, after all.
I found a HiCap DR was superior to the AUX power connection on my 552.
Get the Superline/HiCap and get listening. There is no better phono preamp for your Naim system and there’s an upgrade path with a Supercap which takes it to world-class reference level.
As said it’s a good phono stage for the money, especially when you have a 52 or 552 to power it from.
No need to get a different power supply unless you get a supercap.
With a supercap you may find things are better, depending on the rest off your system.
But it certainly won’t take it up into the relms off super reference, phono stage. As you would easily hear if you put it against one.
But for the money, especially secondhand, it is very good.
While I haven’t heard the Superline, I can confirm that the Planar 10/Apheta 3 sounds amazing with the Aura. The excellent Planar 10/Apheta 3 ‘combo’ definitely deserves a high-end phonostage, so I wouldn’t compromise…
and I would really like to here this mc Pro and Rega Aura