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PostPosted: December 13th, 2020, 12:16 pm 
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Grover Gardner wrote:
Thanks for the heads up on this, David. It gets some really remarkable reviews. I've been looking for something simple, mainly just for LP ripping purposes, since I don't so much LP misteneing these days. This looks like a very good candidate.


My only criticism to date is the I need a magnifying glass to flip the dip switches used to set up gain, loading, and equalization underneath the unit. Fortunately, it is small enough to hold in your hand to get a close view. But the very low noise and lack of overload on pops, means it would be ideal for LP ripping. I find the background is so quiet, it sounds in that respect like digital recordings.

BTW, the sound of the Goldring cartridge opened up since I first posted last night. There is something about the preamp that keeps me wanting to listen more, really non-fatiguing.

David


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PostPosted: December 13th, 2020, 4:16 pm 
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Is there links to these devices?

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PostPosted: December 13th, 2020, 5:00 pm 
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Do a Google search. I bought mine online from a dealer in Richmond, VA. But it is available from Audio Advisor, Music Direct, etc.

IFi just came out with an inexpensive phonostage in their "Zen" series of components that people seem to like, but the attraction of the more expensive iPhono 3 Black Label is that it has been compared with "Reference" level phono stages and has come out close or equal. I mean phonostages at 5 to 10 time the cost of this unit. That is why I took the risk, and was very pleasantly surprised on how much it improved my phono playback.

However, to each their own. In the spirit of DIY, it is nice to have a point of comparison and a challenge. I know that I feel somewhat embarrassed that my best DIY efforts to date do not come close to this unit. Charlie probably has gone further than any of us on DIY phonostages, and it will be interesting post-Covid to do a comparison.

Let's hope to have a great phonostage shootout after our present situation is over!

David


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PostPosted: December 24th, 2020, 10:28 pm 
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Follow-up with moving magnet cartridges, now listening to a Grace F-9 with a Soundsmith line contact Ruby stylus. Big room filling sound. Gain set at 45dB since the output is lower than the Goldring. Just listened to my favorite audiophile Christmas record, Cantate Domino on Proprius, and I have not heard it better. So save to say this iFi Phono 3 also does MM cartridges very well, in fact, the Grace F-9 is about as close to MC sound in a MM, detail, life, and holographic.

David


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PostPosted: December 25th, 2020, 9:53 am 
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David McGown wrote:
Follow-up with moving magnet cartridges, now listening to a Grace F-9 with a Soundsmith line contact Ruby stylus. Big room filling sound. Gain set at 45dB since the output is lower than the Goldring. Just listened to my favorite audiophile Christmas record, Cantate Domino on Proprius, and I have not heard it better. So save to say this iFi Phono 3 also does MM cartridges very well, in fact, the Grace F-9 is about as close to MC sound in a MM, detail, life, and holographic.

David

Absolute Sound Magazine (I still have those issues) ran a comprehensive cartridge shoot-out back in the '70's and the Grace F-9 got high praise especially since it embarrassed some pretty pricey moving-coil cartridges.

An Audio Nut friend of mine that runs Magnaplanar Tympani 1-Ds swears by his Grace cartridge.

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PostPosted: April 8th, 2021, 9:33 pm 
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Walt,

Guess what...my iFi iPhono3 died. Everything is powered up, nothing changed from the last time I listened to it a few weeks ago, just no output. Power supply is OK. Connected another phonostage with the same cables, no problem, that one works just fine (a Pass Pearl Two). Sounds a hell of alot better than silence!

Just opened an RMA. I got the unit last October, so 7-1/2 months life.

Oh the burn!!!!

David


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PostPosted: April 8th, 2021, 10:14 pm 
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David McGown wrote:
Walt,

Guess what...my iFi iPhono3 died. Everything is powered up, nothing changed from the last time I listened to it a few weeks ago, just no output. Power supply is OK. Connected another phonostage with the same cables, no problem, that one works just fine (a Pass Pearl Two). Sounds a hell of alot better than silence!

Just opened an RMA. I got the unit last October, so 7-1/2 months life.

Oh the burn!!!!

David


They say it's guaranteed for a year so I hope you're good!


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PostPosted: April 8th, 2021, 10:43 pm 
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Grover,

The got back quickly to me, really just a few minutes, so waiting for them to send the RMA and address label. At least their online customer support is super responsive.

Actually, since getting a Chord Hugo M Scaler a few weeks ago, I have not touched vinyl (shame on me!). Spur of the moment, I decided to spin up a record tonight and found the problem, to my surprise. BTW, digital sounds fantastic, particularly my ripped CDs, with the M Scaler, and just picked up an Audiolab 6000CDT transport to play back CDs I haven't had a chance to rip yet. That unit really sound good, much better than using my Marantz SA8005 SACD player as a transport. Best I have ever heard a spinning silver disc.

David


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PostPosted: April 9th, 2021, 9:29 am 
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David McGown wrote:
Walt,

Guess what...my iFi iPhono3 died. Everything is powered up, nothing changed from the last time I listened to it a few weeks ago, just no output. Power supply is OK. Connected another phonostage with the same cables, no problem, that one works just fine (a Pass Pearl Two). Sounds a hell of alot better than silence!

Just opened an RMA. I got the unit last October, so 7-1/2 months life.

Oh the burn!!!!

David

I had an earlier iFi Phono -- I hooked it up to a better power supply -- it performed beyond expectations until only a year later one channel went horribly noisy. Maybe the Seagulls will get some use out it at the nearest landfill.

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Walt


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PostPosted: April 9th, 2021, 12:25 pm 
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Walt,

I remember you telling me about your experience. Anyway, impressed by the responsiveness of their customer support, got the RMA and UPS label last night and as of this morning, on the way down to Yorktown, VA where their US facility is. I suspect they will just replace it.

The thing about it was the output was completely dead. Nothing. No residual noise either, i.e. hum, buzz, etc. The LEDs showed the unit to be powered. Of course the unit is pretty dead quiet when nothing is cued up. I even plugged my tonearm cable into the MM input with no attenuation into my system. Nothing. I would expect to hear a very low level sound with a 0.3mV MC in to a MM input if the problem was just the MC stage. So will have to see where it died when they report back to me.

David


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