MM Phono Preamp

I have been a big fan of the Art DJ preamplifiers for years as they really deliver a good, balanced sound for a low price. After recently making some changes to my setup, I wanted to try a tube preamp. I understand that this is actually a hybrid tube/ss amlifier and that the tubes are mainly used to color the sound a bit. To that end, they do a wonderful job of delivering the classic tube sound of crisp highs that don't sound harsh, but instead detailed and not fatiguing to the ears.Compared to the Art DJ, this preamp is a considerable improvement in sound quality. Immediately I noticed a much more open soundstage, and better separation. In many of my records, I now hear even more little details I had never noticed with the Art DJ. Midtones sound rich, bass is tight and full, and highs are delicately detailed - all with excellent separation. This sounds much more like a $300-$400 preamp, yet is the same price as an Art DJ.Negatives: Not much to dislike with this one. I wish it had a full variable volume control with a clipping indicator like on the Art DJ. Instead, it has a four position switch. That being said, it does work fine in my system on the lowest setting and I hear no clipping or distortion. Some reviews dislike the blue LED's that light up the tubes. I actually like them because I can see that the unit is on - more than once I have forgot to turn off the preamp and then noticed the lights on. One final thing to be aware of is the preamp does pickup some buzz from nearby household LED lightbulbs I have on a dimmer.In conclusion, I still gave this 5 stars as it is hard to fault it, especially considering the amazing (!) sound it puts out, and the price you pay for that excellent sound. I did order mine with the upgraded tubes, but even without them it sounds excellent - the difference is subtle but noticeable. I would not consider myself to be an audiophile, but I am a music producer with over 200 recording sessions to my credit - I would like to believe I have a good understanding of what makes for "good" audio, and this is certainly it. Definitely worth trying if you are looking for a good preamp, or looking to upgrade your sound.

Nice heavy unit! Tubes so so. Order the riverside audio updated GE tubes sounds much better. Could use a little more volume. I like the blue light. All in all make a vinyl sound awsome. The other benefit is to plug in your mp3 or cell phone to it and play downloaded music. Sounds so much better then bluetooth! All in all I highly recommend.

I am using an Audio Technica AT-LP3 turntable with an AT95E elliptical stylus run into a Sony STR-DH190 amplifier, Sony Tower, Bookshelf, and two Sony subwoofers run in stereo. The built-in phono stage in the LP3 is a little weak very clear but requires a little work on the amp side. the STR-DH190 phono stage is about the same. I decided to try the AIYMA Tube T3, just to see if there was any difference in sound. Hooked it all up, put on a copy of American Beauty, dropped the needle and Wow. No hum, no noise, bass was tight and punchy, and the trebles were not as harsh. Nice soft warm sound and still very clear. I find the middle 42db setting gives the best results on my set up. For the price this can't be beat. This is not audiophile level but for casual listeners of vinyl it will produce a noticeable improvement in sound quality. I might try different tubes at a later point in time but for now the ones that come with it are just fine.

Awesome! Powerful. Do not even have to use higher settings. Great preamp for the price. Easy to set up with receiver, turntable, equalizer.

Great little unit that I needed when my 1K plus phono stage bit it hard. Figured I'd use this until the repair shop was done with mine. When it arrived - it was - well, meh. I use Krell Electronics and Nordost cabling, and EVERY drop of nuance is replicated. I read you could easily roll the tubes, so I ordered - for whopping 15 dollars - the GE5654 tubes, from the Tube Store in Canada. They arrived the next day (The shipping was as much as the tubes) and this is where things get very interesting. Wowzers. I was NOT expecting this at all. I would confidently say my original phono stage is better, but NOT BY ALMOST 1K WORTH. It's stunning the detail, the soundstage and the dynamics I am hearing. My 'go to' album is HyperSpace by Beck, not least because Pharell produced it with him, so the dynamics are ALL the way from the Marianas Trench to the top of Mt Everest. And this - this little Chinese THING - cuts right through it all with aplomb (with those new tubes mind you). So now when my original comes back I will have the best dilema of all. I am telling you - 40 years of being a audiophile, and this unit has greatly impresssed, and you should give a serious looking at. Highly recommended.

Just to clarify there are 2 things buyers should know...1. THIS PRE-AMP IS NOT POWERED BY THE TUBES! The pre-amp is actually an internal sound chip. The signal then runs through the tubes before output.2. THIS IS A CHINESE PRODUCT. You might be able to buy cheaper via. Chinese Wholesale sites if you are willing to wait a month to recieve it..,As my personal experience, i like it. Has a nice warm sound, and the LED lit vacuum tubes look cool

Love this little guy. Sounds better than some preamp at twice the price, especially when you swap the stock tubes for some better Russian ones.Thanks to everyone who said this was better than the POS Mani.I got sick of hearing distorted mids on the 1st gen Mani when I started using a 4v cart on my budget turntable. I already have a higher-end TT setup with a Pro-Ject preamp, so I wasn’t looking to spend much more on this more casual setup for my living room. At half the price of the Mani, you can’t beat the clarity of this preamp. Even setting it to 45db gain setting, way higher than I’d normally use, it doesn’t distort, just brings out the mids and details in the highs.

I was expecting this preamp to be a good addition to my Sony PS-3300 turntable and my Yamaha HTR-5660 receiver, but is was very noisy and the input plug did not work properly.