I think this is perhaps the right forum to discuss this ?
Phonostages.... what finicky animals!
I have searched long for a very very good phonostage. Best I ever heard was the one in the Halcro DM10, but at R120k+ :faint: The DM10 as a preamp was good but there are some better, else it could have been a winner... still R120k :sweat:
Tried Conrad Johnson - too fuzzy and warm. ARC PH3 - Nope, dull... really dull, no joke. Lehman(in 15 little boxes) - nice, not exciting, just nice. Rotel - unfair... cheap and not at all cheerful. (I so so so would like to hear a Manley Stingray). Listened to the VA Whisper at Jazzy. No THERE is also an amazing Phono (would love to hear it one day in mine). If I didnt have the Hovland it would have been in my house!
Ended up choosing between EAR 324 and Audio Research Reference Phono. Picked the ARC because of slightly more fluid valve sound, albeit at bit less quiet. I already had a Jeff Rowland Cadence - Amazing phono.
Then Jazzy promptly relieved me by making me an offer I still cant figure out... He has my favorite phone, I have cash and yet Im not greatly happy :Ooooooh: :sulky:
Finally I bought an Hovland HP100 with MC/MM phono - and THIS beats them all (Except DM10).
In walks the Dulcet. What a great sounding phono! Running thought the SME/Phantom with Colibri this phono sounded EXCELLENT! I had to strain to hear differences with the Hovland. The Hovland is also a valve phono so the soundstages are both wide and open. Projects a cloud of sound in front of you.
Finer detail score in favour of the Hovland, but sometimes with Colibri the Dulcet was sweeter.
Both midranges were nice and human... with warmth. Just like the Audio Research.
Bass the Hovland was not deeper but more detailed. But this might be because of a better match with its own preamp.
It was fast, kept up with the very fast Colibri. Make no mistake the Colibri is NOT romantic. This is the Charlize Theron of cartridges, sexy, beautiful, but not smoldering like Angelina Jolie... :stop: :stop: Would have loved to try the darker Lyra cartridge but time was limited.
This preamp has very good gain, very quiet. I almost would think its as quiet as my Cadence that runs of batteries. I have/had smaller phonos. Musical Fidelity LP3/Lehman/Dynavector/Nad but they are for budget to midrange turntables. To get the most out of a Colibri, Dynavector XV or big Benz the phonostage must be as sensitive as a Lioness, pregnant and STILL with PMS and headache... add annoying baboon in tree to this picture. It must pick up the nuance of the cartridge, amplify EVERY ounce of information the cartridge digs out. And do this without hissing and smearing that signal. The Dulcet can do this quite well. Its not an entry level phono and not a reference either. Its not a ARC Reference phono 1,2 or 10 but it lives in that gap from R10k to R100k phonostages and earns its place there.
The Dulcet is so so well made. Damn when you look inside you think "Wow!" This is clean, uncluttered, and you see the PC boards, with QUALITY components and then you notice the perfect wires, military precision, wound tight, nowhere in the way. Think best quality wire too. Damn Rudi its well made. And those Caps!
I see there are dulcet kits out on the forum... :thinking:
I think as a finished product this would have a place in the R10k-R20k bracket, but I understand with the limited vinyl market in SA it might not be commercially viable :'(
Phonostages.... what finicky animals!
I have searched long for a very very good phonostage. Best I ever heard was the one in the Halcro DM10, but at R120k+ :faint: The DM10 as a preamp was good but there are some better, else it could have been a winner... still R120k :sweat:
Tried Conrad Johnson - too fuzzy and warm. ARC PH3 - Nope, dull... really dull, no joke. Lehman(in 15 little boxes) - nice, not exciting, just nice. Rotel - unfair... cheap and not at all cheerful. (I so so so would like to hear a Manley Stingray). Listened to the VA Whisper at Jazzy. No THERE is also an amazing Phono (would love to hear it one day in mine). If I didnt have the Hovland it would have been in my house!
Ended up choosing between EAR 324 and Audio Research Reference Phono. Picked the ARC because of slightly more fluid valve sound, albeit at bit less quiet. I already had a Jeff Rowland Cadence - Amazing phono.
Then Jazzy promptly relieved me by making me an offer I still cant figure out... He has my favorite phone, I have cash and yet Im not greatly happy :Ooooooh: :sulky:
Finally I bought an Hovland HP100 with MC/MM phono - and THIS beats them all (Except DM10).
In walks the Dulcet. What a great sounding phono! Running thought the SME/Phantom with Colibri this phono sounded EXCELLENT! I had to strain to hear differences with the Hovland. The Hovland is also a valve phono so the soundstages are both wide and open. Projects a cloud of sound in front of you.
Finer detail score in favour of the Hovland, but sometimes with Colibri the Dulcet was sweeter.
Both midranges were nice and human... with warmth. Just like the Audio Research.
Bass the Hovland was not deeper but more detailed. But this might be because of a better match with its own preamp.
It was fast, kept up with the very fast Colibri. Make no mistake the Colibri is NOT romantic. This is the Charlize Theron of cartridges, sexy, beautiful, but not smoldering like Angelina Jolie... :stop: :stop: Would have loved to try the darker Lyra cartridge but time was limited.
This preamp has very good gain, very quiet. I almost would think its as quiet as my Cadence that runs of batteries. I have/had smaller phonos. Musical Fidelity LP3/Lehman/Dynavector/Nad but they are for budget to midrange turntables. To get the most out of a Colibri, Dynavector XV or big Benz the phonostage must be as sensitive as a Lioness, pregnant and STILL with PMS and headache... add annoying baboon in tree to this picture
. It must pick up the nuance of the cartridge, amplify EVERY ounce of information the cartridge digs out. And do this without hissing and smearing that signal. The Dulcet can do this quite well. Its not an entry level phono and not a reference either. Its not a ARC Reference phono 1,2 or 10 but it lives in that gap from R10k to R100k phonostages and earns its place there.The Dulcet is so so well made. Damn when you look inside you think "Wow!" This is clean, uncluttered, and you see the PC boards, with QUALITY components and then you notice the perfect wires, military precision, wound tight, nowhere in the way. Think best quality wire too. Damn Rudi its well made. And those Caps!
I see there are dulcet kits out on the forum... :thinking:
I think as a finished product this would have a place in the R10k-R20k bracket, but I understand with the limited vinyl market in SA it might not be commercially viable :'(
