Tír Na HiFi

I know there has been a few owners of TE phonostages here in the past so I'm looking to hear your thoughts on them. Do they have a 'house' sound and if so how would you describe it? Are we talking warm lush or more on the leaner dry side of things? Also what do you get as you move up the range?
Yes I know I could simply google much of this but I'd like to get some feel of what the owner experiences have been. Of course a home demo is critical but first I want to see if a can shortlist a few. Thanks!

I had one and it was fine. Am I damming with feint praise? Not really.
I expect a phono stage or any amp for that matter to disappear, the Tom Evans does that. I have to say I was impressed my the Synthesis Roma phono stage that The Listening Suite had (a brief enough "in shop" listen) but they don't seem to have it anymore. There's a lot of choices out there.


EDIT:
apologies... they do have it but tube phone stages are listed separately for some odd reason.

https://www.thelisteningsuite.ie/valve-phono-stages/

I have a Tom Evans phonostage and I love it. I am using it with a Clearaudio LE turntable and Primare I21 integrated amplifier into SA1750 speakers.

Seán wrote: ↑Sun May 24, 2020 7:31 pm I have a Tom Evans phonostage and I love it.

It is detailed and uncoloured which is pretty much what you want from a phono stage.

Ivor wrote: ↑Sun May 24, 2020 6:12 pm I have to say I was impressed my the Synthesis Roma phono stage that The Listening Suite had (a brief enough "in shop" listen) .

I got in touch with them a couple of months ago about it and they have one available to demo. Maybe next month if the restrictions ease again I might be able to get a demo. The Stax setup is fairly portable so a 'proper' audition is doable in the shop.

DaveF wrote: ↑Sun May 24, 2020 9:36 pm

Ivor wrote: ↑Sun May 24, 2020 6:12 pm I have to say I was impressed my the Synthesis Roma phono stage that The Listening Suite had (a brief enough "in shop" listen) .

I got in touch with them a couple of months ago about it and they have one available to demo. Maybe next month if the restrictions ease again I might be able to get a demo. The Stax setup is fairly portable so a 'proper' audition is doable in the shop.

Excellent. Obviously I have nothing to do with the shop but it seemed like an real option.

Dave
I had the same Tom Evans that Ivor had, an entry level ~2005 Microgroove. The sound was good for its price but not exceptional. I believe the bigger and current Groove+ Model very good. Cloney had one for sale last year but I didn’t get to audition it.

I ended up buyImg a pre owned Audio Research PH7 from them. I am really happy with it, incredible detail and true to the recordings. The newer Reference models also get rave reviews.

Conor

I use a microgroove plus, the sq is a massive step up from the microgroove.

I can’t comment on any of the Tom Evans gear, but I have heard the Arcam phono stage, it’s exceptionally good for the price. For a 300-350 or so phono stage it is exceptional value for the money.

But synergy is very important in a system and tbh if I was to blow a wad of money on cart the Ortofon Winfield Ti would be it.

From what I heard at the demo some time ago...that cart was the “ pièce de résistance”

That cart on a high mass platter, 10” tonearm or more into a good phonostage would be sublime indeed.

3k sterling for the windfeld. Thats serious coin alright, you'd want the entire rest of chain to keep up with it.

Fran