I use the ifi Zen Phono as recommended by Randy, you and others with my Rega P3. I agree that you can use online reviews to inform your decision. I'm very happy to send people your way after they've listened to my rig. Please keep the excellent reviews coming.
I used the iFi Zen phono too... Then... I recommend you put your hands and ears on the iFi Audio micro iPhono3 Black Label, you'll be amazed by the performance as long as the whole system is good too from the TT to the speakers, of course ! This $1000 phono preamp is a stunning piece of hi-fi equipment for sure.
I own the previous model. Only bought it just last October. In Canada (on Amazon) our prices are quite a bit higher than what you pay in the US. The older Zen cost me $300, whereas the new one is listed at $400. For me, I sincerely doubt the benefit of an upgrade at this stage of the game. My cartridges are in that range just above entry level. I have an Ortofon Blue (and the basic RED) and an Audio Technica VM540ML which I prefer over the Blue. I suspect with a much better cartridge, the differences between to original Zen and the Zen 3 versions would be much more noticeable and appreciated. For the short term, I'm holding my cards and won't be gambling that I'll appreciate a meaningful improvement in my vinyl sound reproduction.
I like the idea with the matching and fir that price it’s very good , I had already den dac v2 and the zen phono amp, if I didn’t have one like to look at this one . Great vid , regards mark
Nice review - I use currentl a Radial J33 as a phonostage and love it. But this look great too and similar price tag. May i have to test this guy, too.
I just placed my order for this pre and the upgraded power adapter. I'll be curious to see how it compares to my schiit mani 2. For reference, i run a pioneer plx-1000 mounted with a Ortofon 2m blue cartridge, a yamaha a-s701 amp, wharfedale diamond 12.2 bookshelf speakers and a svs sb-1000 pro sealed sub.
I have previous model which i used with ortofon 2m blue. Now i use ortofon quintet red i think about upgrading. I use mc low setting i 1kohm loading, but ortofon reccomends lower setting (about 100 ohm loading)....
For the listening of vinyl, isn't the iFi Audio Zen Dac V2 (paired with the iFi Audio Zen CAN, for example) sufficient ? Because the Zen Dac V2 also has RCA ports. Do we have necessarily to go through their Zen Phono ?
It’s not just RCA ports that are needed for a turntable. The signal coming out of the TT alone is super quiet - you need a phone stage to boost the signal before it goes to a pre amp or whatever. If you see an amp or a dac/pre that has a “phono” line in - that means it has a built in phono stage. But those are usually not as good as stand alone phone stages.
Do you know can you use the balanced output on the back of the can 3 to run to your regular amplifier (assuming it has a balanced input of course)? I’m thinking of picking up both it and the phono 3, but am just trying to figure it all out first. Does one 4.4mm balanced output take priority over the other(the one on the back vs. the headphone one on the front), or do they both work similtaneously?
I have use the additional balanced out on the headphone amp to record my vinyl. I don’t have an amp with a balanced input - yet - as for using both I think you can only use one of the balanced inputs at a time. You can use the balanced and the rcas at the same time.
Dumb question from a newbie here; My turntable only has a 5 pin DIN cable, can I get a female 5 pin DIN to RCA cable, connect it to this phono stage, then connect that to my Komplete Audio 2 interface which then connects to my PC? Or would I need a separate preamp before the audio interface as well?
Looking inside it appears to have the same opamp signal path as every other unit on the market. I don't see anything unusual in its circuitry to make one believe that it magically sounds better than a Cambridge Audio Duo or a Pro-Ject or anything else in its price range. Apparently iFi sent one of these to every reviewer on the planet. If you don't need this kind of adjustability you should go with something cheaper. If you aren't yearning to use a MC cartridge don't waste your money.
@@PiecesofVinyl I bought one two months ago for €225 and it works perfectly. With a full recap it can cost up to €400 in Catalonia. Right now I have 3 at home and I have never paid more than €250.
i enjoy your enthusiasm, but u need to back up your claim by comparing it to its competitors. without comparing this to its competitors (mani 2, sota pyxi, etc.), any claim or question is meaningless. nowhere in this video do you attempt to address your claim in a meaningful way.
I don’t have the resources (yet) to have all those products to compare them. It’s why in the video I mention this - and I am basically saying this is the best phono stage I have tried in this price range. I have also referred the viewers to three other channels that do have those resources and encouraged them to follow those channels as well. Links in the description and those channels all agree - this is one of - if not - the best phono stages in this price range. Thanks for commenting! The more viewers and comments and hopefully schiit and these other companies will want to reach out for reviews as well!
![BOWKYLION - วิงวอน (ex-change) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cLdnZWDaO-w/mqdefault.jpg)
I use the ifi Zen Phono as recommended by Randy, you and others with my Rega P3. I agree that you can use online reviews to inform your decision. I'm very happy to send people your way after they've listened to my rig. Please keep the excellent reviews coming.
Thanks for watching! Will do!
I use my zen phono 2with my p3 too , it’s pretty good , also I done lot of research on TH-cam including Randy too . Regards mark
I used the iFi Zen phono too... Then... I recommend you put your hands and ears on the iFi Audio micro iPhono3 Black Label, you'll be amazed by the performance as long as the whole system is good too from the TT to the speakers, of course ! This $1000 phono preamp is a stunning piece of hi-fi equipment for sure.
I Definitely gotta check this out. Always giving that great breakdown. Much love brotha man. For me your the standard I'd love to get too eventually.
Thanks again man!
I own the previous model. Only bought it just last October. In Canada (on Amazon) our prices are quite a bit higher than what you pay in the US. The older Zen cost me $300, whereas the new one is listed at $400. For me, I sincerely doubt the benefit of an upgrade at this stage of the game. My cartridges are in that range just above entry level. I have an Ortofon Blue (and the basic RED) and an Audio Technica VM540ML which I prefer over the Blue. I suspect with a much better cartridge, the differences between to original Zen and the Zen 3 versions would be much more noticeable and appreciated. For the short term, I'm holding my cards and won't be gambling that I'll appreciate a meaningful improvement in my vinyl sound reproduction.
I’ve been looking at this model. Great review and you talked me into it. lol
Thanks for watching! You will love it!
Great interesting review , u recently bought the zen phono v2 it’s pretty good . Regards mark
I like the idea with the matching and fir that price it’s very good , I had already den dac v2 and the zen phono amp, if I didn’t have one like to look at this one . Great vid , regards mark
Nice, I actually just got this for my office turntable. I’m far from an expert but I’ve been impressed
**Office** turntable? Living the dream man
@@DavidPietersen I work for myself from my home office, so I’ve got a little setup there with a Rega P1 (eco deck), so yes, living the dream in a way.
I am about to setup a “third deck” and have an office setup! I will be using the zen air phono.
@@xentakis,thumbs up for having two systems at home. One for work and one for listening so yeah living the dream 💭.
If I had two tables @ home I’d probably would not get any work done 😊.
Nice review - I use currentl a Radial J33 as a phonostage and love it. But this look great too and similar price tag. May i have to test this guy, too.
Thank you, I was looking at this info. Subscribed.
Thanks for the sub!
I just placed my order for this pre and the upgraded power adapter. I'll be curious to see how it compares to my schiit mani 2.
For reference, i run a pioneer plx-1000 mounted with a Ortofon 2m blue cartridge, a yamaha a-s701 amp, wharfedale diamond 12.2 bookshelf speakers and a svs sb-1000 pro sealed sub.
I really like that Yamaha. I just picked up a a pair of Wharfedale Lintons - so far so good!
I have previous model which i used with ortofon 2m blue. Now i use ortofon quintet red i think about upgrading. I use mc low setting i 1kohm loading, but ortofon reccomends lower setting (about 100 ohm loading)....
For the listening of vinyl, isn't the iFi Audio Zen Dac V2 (paired with the iFi Audio Zen CAN, for example) sufficient ? Because the Zen Dac V2 also has RCA ports. Do we have necessarily to go through their Zen Phono ?
It’s not just RCA ports that are needed for a turntable. The signal coming out of the TT alone is super quiet - you need a phone stage to boost the signal before it goes to a pre amp or whatever. If you see an amp or a dac/pre that has a “phono” line in - that means it has a built in phono stage. But those are usually not as good as stand alone phone stages.
Darlington Labs FTW
I absolutely love my MM 6 B.
I believe if you hold the power button for 5 seconds it keeps it in stand-by mode
Thanks. I find I have to hit the power button multiple times to turn it off. Maybe I’ll try this instead.
Do you know can you use the balanced output on the back of the can 3 to run to your regular amplifier (assuming it has a balanced input of course)? I’m thinking of picking up both it and the phono 3, but am just trying to figure it all out first. Does one 4.4mm balanced output take priority over the other(the one on the back vs. the headphone one on the front), or do they both work similtaneously?
I have use the additional balanced out on the headphone amp to record my vinyl. I don’t have an amp with a balanced input - yet - as for using both I think you can only use one of the balanced inputs at a time. You can use the balanced and the rcas at the same time.
well, it's certainly the oddest looking :)
Dumb question from a newbie here; My turntable only has a 5 pin DIN cable, can I get a female 5 pin DIN to RCA cable, connect it to this phono stage, then connect that to my Komplete Audio 2 interface which then connects to my PC? Or would I need a separate preamp before the audio interface as well?
I am not sure about the 5 pin cable - but - in theory that should work. You can from the phono stage to the interface.
Would have been perfect if it had USB for digital recording!
It is perfect the way it is.
Is this unit Better than Using The built in preamp on a vintage receiver??
I would say better than both. Depending on what that vintage receiver is - but even - separate components are usually always better.
Looking inside it appears to have the same opamp signal path as every other unit on the market. I don't see anything unusual in its circuitry to make one believe that it magically sounds better than a Cambridge Audio Duo or a Pro-Ject or anything else in its price range. Apparently iFi sent one of these to every reviewer on the planet. If you don't need this kind of adjustability you should go with something cheaper. If you aren't yearning to use a MC cartridge don't waste your money.
It sounds great to me. The Cambridge is $100 more - I am not sure you are “wasting money” on a $250 product. But ok!
Good review. I would rather see a mono switch vs the Rumble switch. That for me would make this a no brainer upgrade.
249€ is the price of a Marantz 1060
You mean the vintage amp? I don’t see them anywhere for less than $700.
@@PiecesofVinyl I bought one two months ago for €225 and it works perfectly. With a full recap it can cost up to €400 in Catalonia. Right now I have 3 at home and I have never paid more than €250.
i enjoy your enthusiasm, but u need to back up your claim by comparing it to its competitors. without comparing this to its competitors (mani 2, sota pyxi, etc.), any claim or question is meaningless. nowhere in this video do you attempt to address your claim in a meaningful way.
I don’t have the resources (yet) to have all those products to compare them. It’s why in the video I mention this - and I am basically saying this is the best phono stage I have tried in this price range. I have also referred the viewers to three other channels that do have those resources and encouraged them to follow those channels as well. Links in the description and those channels all agree - this is one of - if not - the best phono stages in this price range. Thanks for commenting! The more viewers and comments and hopefully schiit and these other companies will want to reach out for reviews as well!