When adding a tube phono stage, prioritize a quiet unit, especially for very low-output moving coil cartridges (0.25–0.3 mV); good reasonably-priced options include the Manley Steelhead, Manley Chinook SE Mk II, Zesto Andros, and EAT E-Glo Petit.
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Speaker
Kevin DiehlEvidence Quote
“some of you guys are buying cartridges that are really low output i'm talking about you know 0.25 0.3 so be a little mindful of that”
Source
What's More Important? Tube Preamp or Power Amp? Too Many Tubes? w/ Upscale Audio's Kevin Deal— Upscale Audio High FidelityCreated: 6/18/2026, 2:32:01 PM
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