We think many people underestimate the importance of a phono stage. If a record player is your main source, it is fair to say that this humble circuit is arguably the most important piece of electronics in your system.
A phono stage like the Graham Slee Reflex M amplifies the output of a typical moving magnet cartridge (around 4-5mV, 1kHz/5cm/s) by over 100 times. A typical moving coil signal (0.3-0.5mV, 1kHz/5cm/s) increases that demand by a factor of ten. Any noise or distortions generated by the phono stage’s circuitry are also amplified proportionally.
