Avid Pulsus / Creek Wyndsor

[jorgjean]

What is the opinion / experience with these phonopreamps. They don't seem very popular but they have very good reviews. I am looking for a clean (not lean) sounding, flexible preamp to upgrade my Dino Trichord. Your opinions will be appreciated.

[moon unit]

I have no experience or opinion on the Creek but I do own the Pulsus. The excellent reviews are very well deserved.

Strong bass with excellent control, balanced by an extemely extended (but never harsh) top end. Midband is wide open with a touch of warmth. There is not a lean bone to be found in its body. Soundstaging is very 3D and instrument separation is superb.

I'm using it with a LOMC Ortofon cart but it should work great with MM or HOMC carts as well. It is a very flexible unit with easy to use controls which are located along the underbody.

I haven't heard all the phono stages at this price point (new) but have a very hard time believing that any of them could compare.

[brianmch]

Like Moon said, many in the price range can and will likely compare.

Being in Switzerland you might have some access to the Lehmann Phono stages that are along the lines of what you're interested in: flexibility and cleanliness. I've used a fully tweaked black cube se for a while and its only hampered by upstream gear.

[jorgjean]

That Avid sounds interesting and to be a very neutral preamp. But then it is very difficult to get hold of a unit in Switzerland, if not impossible. Testing is important to see how it matches the different cartridges I have. The Trichord is a a bit on the warm side when used with a Glider SL. When used with the Rega Elite or the AT-OC9II it sounds ok. I will probably use the Glider only together with the Whest where it sound very good. Is there an phono stage that will fit all cartridges or is this a illusion?