Recently bought a Yamaha amplifier which blows the Denon one away. It has a phono stage. It also has a built-in DAC.
The DAC is nothing special. And I assumed that the phono stage would be the same; a "me too" feature item. So I didn't expect much. But I thought I'd give it a try.
And this, actually, blows the Project box away. The sense of stereo imagery is better and not by any small margin. The bass control is tighter, though it has less bass. The midrange is much more lucid. Those last two probably being linked.
Neither the Project box nor the Yamaha amplifier are the "final destination", these were purchased to get something immediately that works to get up and running.
Though my first amplifier was a Yamaha and I do like the "natural" tonal balance. OK, it does get just a touch shouty and grainy if you push it to unspeakable volumes. But then it wasn't expensive.
Now clearly the phono stage in that amplifier will be well-paired with the rest of the circuitry. Maybe the Project box wasn't a good pairing. Was bought solely on the basis of good reviews, I didn't hear it first and have had no other frame of reference since. Though I have learned to ignore reviews in hi-fi magazines in light of other experiences.
Perhaps the most true test of an "upgrade" is - can you hear something you couldn't before, and the answer is yes; by bypassing the Project box and just plugging the TT into the amp, I am indeed hearing things that I've never heard.
Are the phono stages in even budget Yamaha amps somehow exceptional? (Goldring 1042 MM cartridge).
I'm just so surprised at the upgrade by ditching the external box considering that cost half of what the amplifier cost by itself.
Which then makes me think that the next upgrade might be a really good phono stage.
Project Phono Preamp vs Yamaha built-in
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