Joe Mac
Well-Known Member
Yeah I found it a big improvement on the gold stylus, more detail but the same Grado sound.
Grado Cartridges and Stylus - Questions and Advice.
- Thread starter RenegadeMonster
- Start date
Yeah I found it a big improvement on the gold stylus, more detail but the same Grado sound.
HayesWeighsIn
Well-Known Member
Having come back to a cart with the 8MZ in it after some time off, I gotta say, the 8MZ totally rocks. It’s remarkably detailed up top for how warm Grados are.
ChrisTon
New Member
I have just dusted off my records and starting getting back into after a long hiatus. I’ve always been a Grado follower when it comes to headphones and so getting a new pick-up for my Rega Planar 3 was first step. After reading this entire, and amazing, thread I’ve ended up getting a Prestige Blue 3, as it fit my budget and allows me to upgrade for an 8mz when appropriate.
At the moment it’s running into a NAD PP2 and a NAD 316BEE and through a pair of B&W 601 S3 and a SA Subwoofer - and it’s all staring to sound quite nice.
I’ve come across a Grado Pre-Amp PH-1 and can’t seem to find anything about it, can any of you enlighten me as to its credentials, is it any good? It is worth the money and so any of you use or know it?
At the moment it’s running into a NAD PP2 and a NAD 316BEE and through a pair of B&W 601 S3 and a SA Subwoofer - and it’s all staring to sound quite nice.
I’ve come across a Grado Pre-Amp PH-1 and can’t seem to find anything about it, can any of you enlighten me as to its credentials, is it any good? It is worth the money and so any of you use or know it?
JohnnyCashFan
Well-Known Member
It's a pretty simple solid state circuit designed to work well with Grado carts. They are pretty hard to find. Unfortunately they are no longer made so make sure it is working correctly.
For something new the Hagerman Bugle is a good value, check the reviews here.
Phono
hagerman-audio-labs.myshopify.com
and Darlington's seems to be pretty popular in these parts, but I have mot heard one.
Last edited:
Hi and welcome!
That’s a neat piece. Around 20 years or so old now. If I recall correctly it was $350 new.
Here’s a pic of the internals and some basic specs. The switch at the bottom of the pic is important. When switched to 40 dB gain, it’s perfect for your new Blue3. When switched to 57 dB gain it becomes a good match for the low output wood bodied Grados should you decide to explore those in the future.
Grado Model PH-1 Phono Preamp
Solid state, AC powered
Switchable gain levels:
40dB for 1.5 to 4.5mV cartridges
56dB for 0.4 to 1.5mV cartridges
And here’s more info from Grado:
PH-1represents the most successful solution to one of the most complex technical challenges in the field of audio that Grado Labs has ever tackled. It can be compared to the undertaking of designing our highly acclaimed phono cartridges, headphones and our world renowned RA-1 headphone amplifier over the past several years. Our design goals were for a truly superb sounding phono preamp to work equally well with both low and high output cartridges with negligible noise. We wanted a phono preamp with ultra wide band pass, high overload, virtually perfect RIAA amplitude and phase coherency, and very low output impedance.
@ChrisTon
Also, Grados are known to hum on Regas due to the location of the AC motor and lack of cartridge shielding. You can check this yourself:
Lift the arm with the cueing lever
Turn the Rega on
Move the arm towards the spindle
You’ll hear the hum increase as the cartridge gets closer to the spindle. It’ll be far worse at 45 RPM.
Here’s a pretty inexpensive solution. No personal experience but this is a reputable manufacturer.
www.haglabs.com
Also, Grados are known to hum on Regas due to the location of the AC motor and lack of cartridge shielding. You can check this yourself:
Lift the arm with the cueing lever
Turn the Rega on
Move the arm towards the spindle
You’ll hear the hum increase as the cartridge gets closer to the spindle. It’ll be far worse at 45 RPM.
Here’s a pretty inexpensive solution. No personal experience but this is a reputable manufacturer.
Humbucker
The Humbucker is a unique solution for reducing hum on certain turntables using Grado cartridges
www.haglabs.com
kvetcha
Chet Hanks' Filmography Buff
15db is no joke!@ChrisTon
Also, Grados are known to hum on Regas due to the location of the AC motor and lack of cartridge shielding. You can check this yourself:
Lift the arm with the cueing lever
Turn the Rega on
Move the arm towards the spindle
You’ll hear the hum increase as the cartridge gets closer to the spindle. It’ll be far worse at 45 RPM.
Here’s a pretty inexpensive solution. No personal experience but this is a reputable manufacturer.
Humbucker
The Humbucker is a unique solution for reducing hum on certain turntables using Grado cartridges
ChrisTon
New Member
Thanks for the tip, I saw it earlier in the thread when I plowed through it all. It’s in the mail already
ChrisTon
New Member
Thanks you for the very extensive knowledge and for sharing it.
Is the age of it and issue? Would a more modern RIAA be more worthwhile?
Anyways, thanks for all the answers, I’ll try and see how much I can push him on the price.
RIAA has been a standard since the late 1950s.
What we don’t know from Grado’s limited specs is how accurate it is to RIAA. I say don’t worry about it. If you like the way it sounds, run it and enjoy it.
Given its age, don’t be surprised if the capacitors leak/bulge/fail at some point. On that piece, not a big deal. It looks super easy to repair- anyone competent with a soldering iron could do it. You could even buy upgraded capacitors at that point and possibly get a boost in performance.
JohnnyCashFan
Well-Known Member
This can be helpful@ChrisTon
Also, Grados are known to hum on Regas due to the location of the AC motor and lack of cartridge shielding. You can check this yourself:
Lift the arm with the cueing lever
Turn the Rega on
Move the arm towards the spindle
You’ll hear the hum increase as the cartridge gets closer to the spindle. It’ll be far worse at 45 RPM.
Here’s a pretty inexpensive solution. No personal experience but this is a reputable manufacturer.
Humbucker
The Humbucker is a unique solution for reducing hum on certain turntables using Grado cartridges
grado hum
ChrisTon
New Member
Got the abbreviations wrong, still new to it all
What would you pay for a unit like this? And would I even get anything for the money considering my NAD PP2 setup?
JohnnyCashFan
Well-Known Member
about $300usd seems about right. Much more than that I would look into something modern or with tubes.Got the abbreviations wrong, still new to it all
What would you pay for a unit like this? And would I even get anything for the money considering my NAD PP2 setup?
Last edited:
It’s kind of an odd (but cool) piece and 20 years old. I think $250 is fair. You should be able to get $100-$125 for your NAD.Got the abbreviations wrong, still new to it all
What would you pay for a unit like this? And would I even get anything for the money considering my NAD PP2 setup?
@ChrisTon just thinking a bit more on this. I certainly wouldn’t go any more than $250 on this, and that’s if you have to have it because it’s cool, different or whatever.
Even then you are so close to a Darlington Labs MM-6 at $329. It’s far more advanced. I’ve heard it and it sounds far better than one would expect given the price. It’ll totally sing with your Grado.
ChrisTon
New Member
I’ll see If I can’t get it at a good price, he has had it for sale 6 months so it’s not an easy sell for him.
I’ll look into the Darlington, but it seems like it’s not really retailed in Europe.
You can email and Darlington can ship to Europe with the correct transformer for your voltage.
Joe Mac
Well-Known Member
The biggest problem is you’ll add 33% (or whatever % tax and VAT is in Denmark) with customs and VAT. VAT really is the worst tax.
wmeugene
Well-Known Member
So I ordered a SL-Technics 1200GR that just shipped, so I am looking at carts. Part of the condition was that I sell my Uturn and I realized that I will get more money for it with a cart, than sans cart. So I may package my Grado Gold with it.
If I do that, I was looking at the Timbre series. Thoughts on the Opus or the Platinum (ie would the Platinum upgrade be worth it)?
Also, I have a Sutherland Insight as my preamp, so I am assuming that the low output would be the way to go?
If I do that, I was looking at the Timbre series. Thoughts on the Opus or the Platinum (ie would the Platinum upgrade be worth it)?
Also, I have a Sutherland Insight as my preamp, so I am assuming that the low output would be the way to go?