SchiitMani 2 Phono Preamp for MM, MC, and MI Cartridges (Silver)

The Mani 2 is a substantial upgrade from your turntable's or receiver's built-in phono preamp.Frequency response and dynamic response were greatly enhanced, as well as stereo imaging compared to my turntables built-in preamp. Volume was boosted too.Dark Side of the Moon now sounds like surround sound, only using two speakers in stereo. Tool's Fear Inoculum is mesmerizing, sparkling and rich compared to the built-in preamp.I suspect part of Mani 2's secret is it's 16v power supply. It's large. It wouldn't fit in the power strip underneath my media cabinet.A true wallwart.This preamp is high gain and is susceptible to interference. I experienced noise at first using some cheap RCA's. (modem, wifi6 router, 800w receiver nearby)I had to rob some higher-end cables from my DAW...Problem solved. Noise gone.If you buy this, have high-end cables or buy some.I like the extreme power light. I can easily tell that it's on.I do not like the rear mounted power switch. It's a toggle switch which is nice but it's just bizarre they put it in the back. Lame.You'll need to place this device accordingly.The underside has lots of dip switches for people with 4 figure turntables or moving cartridges. If you have a regular turntable, you don't need to mess with any of that.

I got this to go with my Fluance RT-85 and could not be happier. It's one of the best in the $100-$150 price range, if not the best. Schiit make some good stuff and they're a U.S. based company (office in CA and assembled in TX). I own a few Schitt products and have yet to be disappointed. I ALMOST got the Fluance pre-amp for less $$ (to match the turntable), but the Schiit will handle additional cartridge types: MM, MC, and MI. So I've got my bases covered if I ever go further down this "rabbit hole" of audiophile-grade equipment. Amazon asked me to "Rate The Volume Control" so I only gave THAT part 1-star (no volume control...but it's not SUPPOSED to have volume control).I also considred the iFi Zen...another great choice for the $100 to $150 range. But I went with the Schiit since I like the look a little better (plus, I get to say "Schiit" and not get into trouble).

I bought this after reading many online reviews and have no complaints. I'm using it with a Hana EH moving coil cartridge. It is nicely built, and sounds great with my fairly high-end system. I have not done A/B comparison testing with other phono pre-amps but I think this is a good solution to achieve the best sound without breaking the bank.

This pre-amp has a ton of adjustment options, which was needed to make my DENON DL-110 cartridge come to live, as God intended, so to speak. This high-output MC item sort of falls through the cracks and my previous NAD phono stage just couldn't do. Wish I bought this years ago. Excellent sound stage, and very very quiet on its own ... I wish the Amazon price was the same as on the company website, which I found out later is substantially better (only beef with this purchase).

I ordered 2 of these and returned them both. One was used with my Pioneer PL-570 running a Denon DL-110 HOMC cartridge, the other on my Dual running a Nagaoka MP-200 cartridge. I found them to be noisy. They were out performed by a U-Turn Pluto and even to a certain extent by a 18 dollar Pyle PP999 which was quieter. The Pluto at half the price is hands down a better preamp unless you need the MC feature.