Parasound Zphono

[ksrigg]

As I'm waiting for the Acurus RL-11 to arrive, I've been researching phono stages.

I have looked at a lot of them and am interested in buying the Parasound Zphono.

I've read all the reviews, and can find nothing really negative about this piece of gear other than someone who has changed the opamps to ones he liked a little better.

I don't own a phono section other than one in the preamps I already own. The Phase Linear 3300 SII that Lee rebuilt, and the Yaqin MS-12B that I had upgraded.

I just wondered if anyone had heard this Parasound unit? It does have the capabilities of accepting an MC cartridge, and that is good.

For lees than $150 it may be a screaming bargain, or it may be a dud...I just don't know. Stereophile has reviewed it highly...So, anyone heard it or have a recommendation for a phono section for a budget price?

 

[R1200S]

BE sure to check out the Schiit Mani. Rave reviews (Stereophile Class C I think. Not that WE care about that sort of thing.) and a great price.

http://schiit.com/products/mani

I bought one a few months ago and I'm seriously looking at buying another.... or 2.

 

[Lazarus Short]

​That's some serious Schiit.

 

[ksrigg]

I was looking at the NAD PP4 as well. I own some Shiit stuff. I had looked at it, but don't see many reviews.. and the more I listen to my Yaqin, and the LEEPL (Lee onized) Phase Linear, the more I wonder if there would be any improvement without spending way bigger bucks.

Tell me about your thoughts on your Shiit...

 

[R1200S]

I was looking at the NAD PP4 as well. I own some Shiit stuff. I had looked at it, but don't see many reviews.. and the more I listen to my Yaqin, and the LEEPL (Lee onized) Phase Linear, the more I wonder if there would be any improvement without spending way bigger bucks.

Tell me about your thoughts on your Shiit...

I found this guy on Youtube a while back. I think he's in Singapore and he doesn't make the mistake of playing music on Youtube so you can hear the difference. He just completed a review of 8 or 9 phono stages under $200. He's a bit difficult to understand but he's fairly convincing. Very much into vinyl ! ! ! Unfortunately, no review of the Parasound unit.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtHpriGymYP_blAbV6s3BvsOFMqRPiDj4

If you want to look him up and avoid the link, search for HiViNyws channel on Youtube.

Stereophile brief (Oct 2015):

http://www.stereophile.com/content/gramophone-dreams-6#hBx9eOS8EbMgr4b4.97

 

[Lazarus Short]

I use the internal phono stage of my Arcam amp. If I ever get the MM and RIAA sections of my Cyrus recapped, I'll try that.

 

[ksrigg]

I think I will order the Mani. The shootout you pointed me to and the numbers on the Mani phono section convinced me. I think, combined with the Acurus, I will not be disappointed. The guy in the video sure was excited about it, and he had compared to a lot of other phono stages..

I'm mounting a new (to me) SME 3009 on my table now....and still considering...

I think I'm going to order the things to make up some parallel resistive loading cables while I'm at it....for about 20 bucks it will be a cool experiment..

 

[R1200S]

I'm sure you're ahead of me on tonearm and cartridge. I'm feeding mine into my RL-11 and sometimes into Shiit's SYS passive preamp. Both sound good to my ears but then again, my ears are getting some age on them. For $130, how do you go wrong?

One other thing while you're ordering.... look at their PYST cables. $20 for a set of 6" long RCA cables. Not sure if you need some short cables but I got a couple of sets and they're just handy as hell. Small gauge wire w/ Straightwire RCA jacks on them. Jacks are slim enough to plug into that RL-11 w/o any interference from each other.

 

[ksrigg]

I just ordered the Schiit Mani.....I really think you for turning me on the that guy's channel. He apparently knows his stuff.

I am also going to get a few supplies to do the loading experiment. I am good on cables, but thanks. I've made some of my own and do have some Tara Labs cables as well. I am anxious to see how the Acurus and Mani compare to what I have been using. I won't be disappointed if there is NO improvement in sound, but based on all the recommendations from the folks here at Phoenix, I believe there will be a big improvement. Everything in my system will be Phoenix Recommended Gear....Klipschorns, WOPLs, Acurus, Tara Labs cables, and Onix CD player...

Like there are Stereophile Recommended Components, I think the Forum should codify its recommendations somewhere on the site. Maybe the site's moderators could get their heads together...and put up their picks..

 

[stuwee]

I think I will order the Mani. The shootout you pointed me to and the numbers on the Mani phono section convinced me. I think, combined with the Acurus, I will not be disappointed. The guy in the video sure was excited about it, and he had compared to a lot of other phono stages..

I'm mounting a new (to me) SME 3009 on my table now....and still considering...

I think I'm going to order the things to make up some parallel resistive loading cables while I'm at it....for about 20 bucks it will be a cool experiment..

Hey Sutton, congrat's on getting the SME 3009, which one is it? Can the seller provide info on the internal wiring? My series II Improved had a Cardas cloth wrapped wire upgrade that was common back in 1975, there is magic in those wires

 

[Fishoz]

Good choice....

The guy I bought my Acurus from was running the Parasound Zphono - he liked it and recommended it but I still went with the Cambridge. The Mani was also in the running at the time...just a question of $'s and what was available out there.

 

[R1200S]

I just ordered the Schiit Mani.....I really think you for turning me on the that guy's channel. He apparently knows his stuff.

I am also going to get a few supplies to do the loading experiment. I am good on cables, but thanks. I've made some of my own and do have some Tara Labs cables as well. I am anxious to see how the Acurus and Mani compare to what I have been using. I won't be disappointed if there is NO improvement in sound, but based on all the recommendations from the folks here at Phoenix, I believe there will be a big improvement. Everything in my system will be Phoenix Recommended Gear....Klipschorns, WOPLs, Acurus, Tara Labs cables, and Onix CD player...

Like there are Stereophile Recommended Components, I think the Forum should codify its recommendations somewhere on the site. Maybe the site's moderators could get their heads together...and put up their picks..

The only thing I ran into with the Mani was that I went with what I thought were the "correct" settings for load and gain. Turned out I needed to bump the gain one notch. Not a big deal at all. All handled via the small DIP switches on the bottom.

 

[Gepetto]

I just ordered the Schiit Mani.....I really think you for turning me on the that guy's channel. He apparently knows his stuff.

I am also going to get a few supplies to do the loading experiment. I am good on cables, but thanks. I've made some of my own and do have some Tara Labs cables as well. I am anxious to see how the Acurus and Mani compare to what I have been using. I won't be disappointed if there is NO improvement in sound, but based on all the recommendations from the folks here at Phoenix, I believe there will be a big improvement. Everything in my system will be Phoenix Recommended Gear....Klipschorns, WOPLs, Acurus, Tara Labs cables, and Onix CD player...

Like there are Stereophile Recommended Components, I think the Forum should codify its recommendations somewhere on the site. Maybe the site's moderators could get their heads together...and put up their picks..

Looks like a solid choice...design layout looks pretty clean and that is usually an indicator of the care that went into the design.