I currently have a sutherland ph3d phono stage. I’m thinking of swapping it out for a Naim Stageline. The Sutherland is powered by a bunch of D batteries which is a pain to replace. My thought is the stageline might sound better with my NAC 282 preamp. Looking for thoughts/suggestions.
I don’t think anyone can know whether it will sound better to you or not. And a lot will depend on the cartridge you are using.
But in terms of simplicity, as it can be powered from the 282’s powered Aux2 input, you won’t need to change batteries anymore or find another plug socket. It’s also upgradeable if you add a dedicated power supply later so there is that bonus too.
I love the StageLine and it works great in my setup. But I’d be lying if I did not say it divides opinion. For everyone who like it, there are probably two who don’t. With a natural partner cartridge like an AT, Sumiko, or Dynavector I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. But no one can promise that.
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From a Sutherland to a Stageline I would expect the downgrade in SQ to be severe, why not get a newer Sutherland like a TZ Vibe or an Insight.
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Well in my application (ATOC9XML) my Stageline K works tremendously.
I daresay it can be bettered, but it’s a keeper in my setup.
So discrete and unobtrusive, with little faff.
A Stageline will work very well with your NAC282 but whether it is as good, better or worse than your Sutherland is a matter for you to use your ears and decide.
There are other similarly priced stages you could also consider, Tom Evans, Graham Slee or Rothwell models for example.
As an aside, I used to have a Crimson Elektrik 510 pre-amp that was battery-powered. It was a lovely little thing. I wish I still had it.
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I have to agree. I was a happy Stageline K owner for almost 20 years (powered by my NAC252) but I don’t think I would downgrade from the Sutherland. Agree the batteries are a pain (especially if you like to leave it powered on) but we’re all about SQ at this level.
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The superline was welcomed as a huge upgrade on the MC stagelines when it came out but my stageline N and a SUT is currently getting use in preference to my supercapped superline. A SUT lacks flexibility and they’re not all created equal and I’m powering the N from a 552. A 282 doesn’t have such good AUX power but my respect for the N version of the stageline has grown quite a bit.
16 D cells produce 24V DC, I wonder how a Southerland would run from a good external ps with that output?
Not sure what your budget is but the Gold Note PH-10 (which can be upgraded with a separate power supply) is a great phono stage. Apart from sounding excellent (and even better with the addition of the PSU-10) it has a multitude of settings which are operated from a display on the front, making it easy to experiment with different settings and also giving a lot of flexibility when swapping cartridges. I use it with a Rega 10 w/Apheta 3. Gold Note also have a smaller model, the PH-5 (which can also be upgraded with a power supply). P.S. I have no affiliations with Gold Note! I just happen to think it’s a really good sounding and versatile phono stage.
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I am sure it would run just fine. As Naim users, we are used to high-quality power supplies like the Flatcap, High cap, Supercap etc.
Using batteries is a good way of supplying the required voltage with a clean DC supply that can be easily controlled and for Sutherland it is very cheap to manufacture compared to a high-quality Mains sourced power supply.
One could have a lead made up to take power from a Flatcap or Hicap and use it to power the Sutherland phono stage without amending the internals of the Naim unit. It would not be that hard for someone to do who knows what they are doing.
For the £ the Stageline is an absolute winner, check with Naim or a dealer the loading requirements of your cartridge.
The choice for some components to run off a battery has always perplexed me. The voltage is very smooth, but not very stable.
When a 1.5v battery is new it might deliver anywhere from 1.7 to 1.55v depending on age and brand. As they run down, most items show a battery indicator or play dead once that drops to 1.3 to 1.1v. The more batteries the device requires, the greater that starting and end curve will be because the voltages are added together.
Yes of course you are right but the circuitry downstream from the batteries to control the DC voltage is easy and cheap. It is a cheap solution for a power supply. I do not know about the Sutherland unit but the 24v nominal input may be stepped down a bit to give a bit of headroom. For example, it may actually operate on a controlled 18-20v.
The Crimson Elektrik Pre-Amp I owned used a PP9 battery but it was possible to have a rechargeable version that when the pre-amp was off charged the battery. It worked well. I would love to see/hear how it stood up to present-day electronics. I shan’t buy one as they are quite expensive to buy used these days and sought after.
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