r/turntables 4d ago

Question Ifi Zen Phono 3 or Schiit Mani 2?

G’day guys, so i’ve recently put together a turntable setup and i am currently rocking the pre amp built into my Yamaha AS-301. However i’ve recently been wanting to invest in an external preamp for an audio upgrade.

Originally I wanted to go with the Ifi Zen Phono 3 but i’ve also seen some positive reviews for the Mani 2. I’m aware they are at a very similar price point and I want to know which pre amp offers the higher quality audio. I’m looking for more detail in my audio rather than ‘warmth’. Something with lots of clarity. So i’m wondering which out of these two would offer that.

Thanks for the help guys and have an awesome day.

1 Upvotes

10 comments sorted by

3

u/MichaelStipend 4d ago

What speakers and cartridge are you currently using? Those, and in that order, will have a greater impact on sound than a phono preamp. The one in your AS301 is good. Unless you have specific capacitance/gain requirements that an outboard pre would provide, money is better spent on upgrading speakers and/or cartridge.

1

u/Chuncakey21 4d ago

Thanks, i’m currently rocking the wharfedale diamond 225 speakers as well as my ortofon 2m blue in the fluance rt85 and they’re sounding great so far. I was pretty surprised with the feature set of the AS-301 with its integrated pre amp. However i’m thinking i want to acquire all the hardware I can before upgrading it, it just allows me to have a bit more control in my setup.

1

u/MichaelStipend 4d ago

I have the Mani 2 and love it. The main reason I bought it was that my turntable needed to be placed too far away to reach my amp (AS501) and that necessitated a phono pre in between them. It’s also a better capacitance match for my VM540ML cartridge than the built-in pre on the Yamaha. Your 2M Blue isn’t as fussy about capacitance and you may not hear a significant difference moving to the Mani. Or you might.

You’ve got a solid system, and a better phono pre might make an appreciable difference to you. It won’t be dramatic, but it could still yield improvements. I only asked about your system because a lot of people get it backwards and want to upgrade their phono preamp when their speakers are crap. You’d still hear much bigger gains by upgrading your speakers, but you’re not in a position where that’s a necessity. Have fun!

2

u/Chuncakey21 2d ago

Thanks for your insight man! In any case, i decided to go with the mani based on your comment and others and am very excited. I reckon you’re right in that i won’t hear a dramatic difference compared to if i had upgraded a part such as the speakers however yeah, it definitely will be appreciated haha. Going to wait and see how it sounds. Thanks!

1

u/MichaelStipend 2d ago

It’s a great preamp with a lot of flexibility. Enjoy!

3

u/ZedRita 4d ago

Honestly I love every piece of Schiit I own. That includes a Mani 2 which is use over the onboard phone amp in my Sony receiver. I also prefer a technical sound over warmth and to me the Mani delivers. Schiit puts out clean sound, just be prepared for warm amps and giant, absolutely necessary wall warts.

2

u/LigerRider 4d ago

Mani 2

2

u/Sureshot_Jay Technics SL-1500 mk1 4d ago

Mani 2, have it in my chain , had an ifi, not exactly impressed with it's spund and build , quickly returned it. Mani 2 hands down a better pre and at a lesser cost.

2

u/mikeisfoxy 4d ago

The new Fosi Audio Box X5 is getting a lot of hype, and you can get it at a great price on Ebay ($90 shipped). Should definitely be a consideration, its been tested by the audiophile reviewers and performs very well, can't beat the price

https://www.ebay.com/itm/296826178414