C52 Phono - which Phono Stage to seriously beat the integrated section?

[leftside]

I currently have an Allnic H-1201 which I find to be superior to the phono stage in both my C100 and C2300. The biggest difference I noticed was the treble became smoother and more pleasant. Next week I'm going to demo a two year old Audia Flight phono.

[leftside]

Maybe the new MP1100 will beat the integrated phono pre in the C52. Will probably cost as much if not more than the C52 though

[bruno2009]

Added Ayre, Aesthetix and Electrocompaniet to the list...

Audia Flight
ModWright
Pass
Audio Research
Ayre
Aesthetix
Electrocompaniet
Whest (models bigger three sig.)

Now I hear a lot of talk about the Audia Flight here - is it really that good and such a gain over the C52? Also - has it been compared to other phono stages other than the C52?

On my List of possible alternatives I have the Pass and Audio Research models, also the Audia Flight and other mentioned here.

@Leftside looking forward to you experience/report with the Audia Flight!

[leftside]

Been trying out the Audia Flight for the last couple of evenings. Very nice phono pre. I've been doing extensive A/B testing against the Allnic. At first I couldn't hear too many differences. Even now the differences are subtle, but the Audia Flight seems to add a slight layer of depth and clarity. I'd be more than happy to have either in my setup, but one must go. I also have a tube headphone amp, and with tubes on either end of the signal this can sometimes be slightly noisy on the quietest passages of vinyl - so I'll be keeping the Audia Flight.

[leftside]

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[jdandy]

Originally Posted by audio bill

The Audia Flight Phono is an exceptionally fine performer and my phono stage of choice. Has plenty of gain for even the lowest output cartridges without the use of step up transformers, and the sound is very dynamic and refined.

Bill.......If I were shopping for an external phono stage preamplifier, the Audia Flight Phono would be at the top of my list. I read many reviews on it, and other than the difficulty of adjusting the loading jumpers on the rear, there is nothing but praise for this component.

I like what 6moons reviewer Frederic Beudot had to say, "Moving to its musical performance, I sense that even the most blasé will pay attention to the way the FL treats music in a unique combination of boldness and finesse that I usually associate only with the very best electronics in any category. It’s a sense that nothing can faze this component out of absolute silence of operation, transparency and refinement of tone to give an impression of rare elegance." I think that about sums it up.

[j3brow]

If you are considering the Audia Flight, add Esoteric E-03 to the list.

From recollection, they are same price. They are both Silver and Solid state. Both are beautiful. The outboard power supply may give the AF the edge but E-03 is so easy to operate with all settings available on front plate and can accommodate 2 turntables. Plus, and this is a big plus, Ivan can get you a screaming good deal. If you ever need service, esoteric may prove easier to deal with.

I owned the E-03 and believe it was "better" than the on board phono in my C500T. But it was close. It bettered the C500 with a benz LPS cart on a VPI. The E-03 sounded very very similar versus the C500 with the McIntosh MT10 and stock cart.

Point is, some of this depends on your cart. I don't see in OP which cart you own. The better your cart, the greater potential.

Either way, you can do better than the c52 phono. The C1100 phono will be a fairly big jump and the AF sounds even better than that, as testified above.

For me, I sold the E03 but only because I couldn't stand mixing silver gear with my McIntosh gear. YMMV.

[leftside]

All good points. I wonder how the MP1100 is going to compare? It will be a while before they hit the used market, and even then it will be considerably more than I paid for the Audia Flight.

[PMCH]

I prefer my Audia Flight phono stage over my C1100 phono stage. Picture of both shown together. Sorry about the quality of the picture, I took it with my iPhone in low light. The two parts of the Audia Flight are shown at different heights since I have rollerblocks under the unit but since the power supply is thin I can't get anything under it that keeps it balanced.

[docmd2010]

I own the C52, and I just ordered my turntable and cartridge, and know that the C52 has a great stage in it, and probably don't plan on making major changes just yet.

I listened to the Audio Research PH9 yesterday vs just the C52 alone and the difference was night and day. The base was very clear and impactful, and the midrange clarity tightened up dramatically. Only issue I see is you will likely need a step up transformer as the gain on this is only 55 DB, particularly if you have a low output cart. However the electronics on this particular piece seem to be very well built.