After the acquisition of the Hana ML earlier in the summer, it was quite clear that my phonostage needed a change. The little Pro-Ject Tube Box SE11 served me well over the years but I was pretty certain that it probably wasn't allowing me to really hear what the Hana ML was capable of.
It began with the audition of this gem of a phonostage I got on loan from an Italian company - Gold Note PH10 with its external PSU.
This unit has been getting stellar reviews in HIFI circles in recent years, not just because of its performance but more so because of the bag of tricks up its sleeve that would normally be the realm of phonostages costing thousands more. The GoldNote can accept inputs from 2 different turntables, has adjustable gain and load settings for both MC and MM but what makes it unique is that you can select different EQ curves such as the standard RIAA, Decca London, Columbia and an 'enhanced' version of all these so essentially 6 EQ curves. Best of all is that all the above can be configured on the fly via the LCD screen as you are listening to music.
So on to the listening - Incredibly detailed but engaging also. A clear lift in the treble giving a very marked improvement in clarity especially with voices in particular. It was clear that the old Project phonostage had much more roll off in the base and treble.
However, there was a major niggle. On some recordings, actually far too many just to be an artefact of the recording, was that I was experiencing a ‘shoutiness’ or a sudden sharpness in sound. For example, Dylan’s mono recording of Blonde on Blonde when the harmonica parts play sounded very sharp and shrill. Other examples too that I won’t list, but it wasn’t something I could live with.
I tried the Columbia EQ curve which took away the sharpness but at the expense of midrange clarity. Not really a solution then. So, I put back in the Pro-ject tube phonostage and to my annoyance the sharpness and shrillness on some parts were no longer there, I mean I expected the GoldNote to knock it out of the park. I wasn’t however willing to accept that it was the GoldNote’s fault. I continued to listen over the next week, but I found myself deliberately avoiding LP’s that I thought might sound too sharp. I was about to reluctantly rule out the Gold Note when I thought that I should check my turntable settings.
When I had installed the Hana cart on the tonearm weeks before, I didn’t really check accurately if the tonearm had been set parallel to the record when playing. I thought it looked ok but when I checked it more thoroughly I noticed it was slightly off. I lowered the back of the arm by about a millimetre or two.
Result! The sharpness had been eliminated completely which was a huge relief. For a while there I thought that maybe the Hana cart was too detailed and bright and maybe wasn’t a good match through the GoldNote and the Stax which are very revealing. Another week or so listening and I was all happy out.
I’d say I was about a day or two away from considering the phonostage when the motor on my Clearaudio turntable started to fail. It had been a bit problematic anyway, but this was something I didn’t need and had hoped to address several months down the line. To make matters worse the Gold Note suddenly developed a fault in the right channel, so I had to send it back.
So my hand was now forced. Either a new motor or turntable was now priority. It just so happened that an esteemed forum member had a turntable that was very much at the top of my audition list. Best yet was that a week or so before my turntable woes I was offered the chance of taking it for a couple of weeks and hearing it in my system. Too good an opportunity to turn down so before I new it a lovely Gyrodec SE was sitting on my shelf all set up correctly and playing beautifully.
Photos don’t do it justice and anyone who has seen one in the flesh will know how striking they look. Not for everyone but I think they look great. This one here has the HR upgraded power supply and the Orbe platter upgrade effectively giving me two platters.
Soundwise – A very open and detailed sounding turntable. The Clearaudio sounds a little more closed in by comparison but not hugely different. I still hear mainly the Hana through both. The Gyrodec can take all sorts of very well-regarded arms with ease so it’s a turntable that one could keep for a very long time. From the photos below, you’ll see that I have switched in and out the 2 platters. Can’t really say if I can hear a difference. Maybe, just maybe a slightly darker presentation with the Orbe platter but I wouldn’t say it’s a necessary upgrade.
After a couple of weeks of bedding into my system and being happy with it I purchased the Gyrodec SE from our forum friend whom has had his own adventure too.
That left the issue of an unused Clearaudio Turntable with a busted motor and a small phonostage that although adequate wasn’t up to the standard of everything else in the system. So a trip down to Cloney’s to borrow a few phonostages with a view to trading in the Clearaudio minus the cost of a new motor of course.
In the end I settled on the Parasound JC Jr. The goal I had for the phonostage was to be as neutral sounding as possible and highly configurable. I could have gone for something with a little extra sonic flavour but I don’t want to be spinning too many plates. For me I quite happy for the sound of my system to be mainly dictated by the cartridge/CDP and headphones/speakers. In that sense the Parasound stays out of the way.
The amp was designed by John Curl, a highly respected designer when it comes to this stuff and although it doesn’t have the EQ curve selection of the GoldNote, it’s just as flexible and has just as good reviews. It’s a solidly built phonostage, everything is very well put together but quite a pricey unit.
So that’s pretty much the overhaul completed. I’m in dire need of refreshing my vinyl collection so a few online purchases are long overdue.
Anyway, I do like reading about other peoples hifi stories so I thought I’d share mine as it was both rewarding and educational with a tiny bit of frustration thrown in a long the way.
Next Step: Fuses.
