Indeed so. I had a different tt (and cartridge) at the time as well. So many variables…
I’ve just remembered that on the one single occasion when I hosted my own bake-off many years ago, we did a bit of a phono stage “shootout” (I think one of the contenders was a Trichord Dino) and to the surprise of all of us the winner turned out to be a Naim Stageline 
Great stuff! Looks very professional for a DIY job - bravo!
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Thank you @JonR. as far as i remember everyone using convergence stetes the same so you totally conviced me. I auditioned lp12 with funkfirm mod and arm with emt tsdn 15 0,1mv and superline/supercap and it sounded fantastic but the price of the combo is enormous.
My only concern with convergence is that I don’t understand what happen if you decide to change your cart because I know it is made following your cart spec…probably you can reveal the secret
Ciao
@JonR I remember that bake off as well. I remember how excellent the Stageline was when played off the back off the 252/SC as opposed to the iSupply. Didn’t you have a Heed at the time?
No big secret to it really. Just keep an eye on the output voltage of whatever cartridge you use then let Graham Tricker know so that, if you buy the MC version, he can adjust the step up transformer settings as appropriate.
When I auditioned the Convergence it was actually the MM (Signature) version and I decided to buy this version with the intention of using it in conjunction with my Ortofon SUT. However the combination of the two with my Lyra Delos caused a signal overload (which came across as grunge on female vocals), so I requested that the phono stage be converted to an mc version. The conversion cost around the same as a decent stand-alone SUT anyway, and it’s just neater to have it all inside the one box, plus it allowed Graham to adjust the settings as appropriate for the Delos. This now works a treat in my system.
Hi Lindsay, yes you’re right. I had a Heed Quasar for a long time. Your memory is certainly better than mine - I forgot all about the iSupply!
@JonR. The day was also memorable for the behaviour of a certain person who sat on the stairs with his back to the system!
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@LindsayM - I was just thinking about that myself actually! It’s certainly a reminder that I had Naim speakers at the time - Allaes, in fact - and I recall our mutual friend was terribly keen to profess his undying admiration of them 
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And here’s mine. I uploaded a photo and some comments on the “what was the last piece of gear you bought?” thread which seems to have stopped the thread in its tracks…
Not only does it perform superbly, it is nice owning a virtually bespoke piece of equipment.
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HI Jon
It’s the Signature MC 68db gain.
Those are indeed Mana supports. I got the Reference Table from RPM in Clapham(?) iirc in 1991 I think. The last pieces I bought “new” were from The Cornflake Shop…
All my racks are Mana. I still like it, but the limited space between the shelves makes it a bit of a sweat getting things in and out, especially if they are heavy.
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I feel your pain, @BigAl. Every time I need to get to the cables at the back of the electronics, out comes the left-hand loudspeaker.
Jon, I get irritable and sweaty when I am de/installing anything as I am worried about busting something, either equipment or shelving. When I got my amps back I cocked up the Supercap to 135 connections. It was hard work putting things right.
It is at times like that active ATCs or Azur monoblocs out of the racks seem strangely attractive.
Fortunately I rarely have to move my 'speakers as they weigh 50kg+
I must say the Simraks look nice though.
Ciao @BigAl after your post i read the post you mentioned.
I agree with you because I trust a lot in tron boxes and being sincere I’m really curious to audition his dac as well.
I know he is the uk importer of really good audio products like thales turntables and devore fidelity loudspeakers.
I’m taking a look to emt hsd006, it can be created by emt with 0,4mv out so i think that 68db tron is almost perfect
I have taken to dismantling my rack when I want to change anything, its a good excuse to make sure that all is tightened. That said i only have four levels in my rack!
The AT33sa I am now using has a 0.4mv output as well. Consequently, I would say that it will be fine to use with your choice of cartridge.
The Tron delivers more gain than the Naim boards that it replaced judging by the position of the volume control on my 52.
My Naim dealer said he thought the Tron was equal to an Alnic phono stage at over £3k and represented excellent value for money.
It’s a similar experience for me when dismantling and reassembling my Hutter rack. It’s when I come to pull it apart that I kind of wish I had something like Fraim where you just lift off the various shelves as you go. The worst part is trying to level the twin-base, which involves bending down low to try and locate the spikes in the right place, then trying to turn them (as they are screw-fit) in order to do any necessary levelling. It can be a sweaty and frustrating experience to say the least. It’s worth the effort though - once the base is sorted the rest of the rack just fits on top.
Gosh those ProAc D30RS sure look good. Walnut color correct? Not the socks 
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The Mana is not too bad: I think it helps that my little listening room has a concrete floor rather than an approximate Victorian suspended wooden floor that I had in my old house.
The biggest drawback of my Mana is that it was pretty much explicitly designed for 1990s Naim gear which is very shallow height-wise. My Sony CD player is actually a few mm taller than the gap between the metal framework. As I was working from the top down, I had to take the glass shelf above, then slide the CD player in diagonally.
In an academic sense at the moment, I do like the look of the Simrak which, being built to order, gives on the option of specifying spacing. Apparently, it works well as well as looking good.
Another time for that I feel though.
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