Gain stages for my vinyl-based hifi

[Agweeks]

Hey everybody. 

I'd like to get your advice.  The seasons are about to start sliding into fall.  It's going to be time soon to switch from my gardening hobby to my audio hobby.  My plan is to build a kit this winter to take my system to another level of audio nirvana.  I need to decide between a Beepre or an Eros phono preamp. 

 Currently my system consists of a Well Tempered Classic TT with a Sumiko Blue Point 2 cartridge into a schitt mani phono preamp, to my Stereomour II out to Klipsch La Scalas and a Klipsch powered sub. 

My thoughts are that the schitt mani is fine for what it does (yawn); but at the end of the day it's still a hundred dollar amp.  With the Beepre I am thinking I'd get more character and drive to my system.  Also, it'd be a better way to send signal to my powered sub. 


Here are the stats on the non-bottlehead gear:

Sumiko Blue Point 2
High output moving Coil
Elliptical stylus
2.5mv output
47k load impedance

Schitt Mani
has four distinct gain modes (30, 42, 47, and 59dB).
passive RIAA network

La Scalas
Sensitivity 105dB
Frequency Response 51-17,000 Hz

So there you have it.  If you only had one kit to build, what would it be and why.  Thank you all in advance for your help. 

Adam

[Paul Birkeland]

About what percentage of your listening is through your analog rig? 

[Agweeks]

If you mean digital versus vinyl,  then 90% vinyl. 

[Paul Joppa]

What gain setting on the Schitt Mani do you use? Or maybe I should ask, what is the lowest gain setting that meets your needs for loudness?

The Blue Point has a bit less output than most MM carts, but Eros has a higher gain than most phono preamps, so it should work well - I'm just checking the numbers to make sure of that. Assuming it does, then I would recommend the Eros as making the bigger difference. Stereomour does not really need a preamp, though many have found some benefit from using one.

Just my two cents, of course. As they say, YMMV.

[Agweeks]

What gain setting on the Schitt Mani do you use? Or maybe I should ask, what is the lowest gain setting that meets your needs for loudness?

The Blue Point has a bit less output than most MM carts, but Eros has a higher gain than most phono preamps, so it should work well

Thank you for your help. I run the mani with 47bB of gain. This results in me turning the volume to 4 o’clock for lower level listening and 7 o’clock for loud listening.

Adam

[Paul Joppa]

Eros nominal gain is 50dB, so that would be a very good fit in your system.

[Paul Birkeland]

90% vinyl=definitely an Eros!

[Karl5150]

What the Pauls said plus 1) with the La Scalas' you probably don't need the extra gain from the BeePre and 2) leftover $ for more vinyl.
Just Karl's .02

[Agweeks]

I’d like to thank everyone for their help.  The answers were universal. 

AGW