Grant Fidelity Audio - Read Only

[solidstate9]

The p-307 is actually a fully functional preamp with a volume control and 2 lines in (RIAA and CD/ other) and 1 line out. I took home the P-307 in May 2007 for a home demo and I was so impressed that I would have bought it right then; but I will get to why I didn't. I used it only as a phono Preamp for my Music Hall MM5 with Goldring 1012gx MM cartridge. My vinyl sounded like music the way I remember when I had tone controls I could really hear the Bass and the detail was much improved over my solid state Phono. I was using different cable than my SS phono and didn't think any thing about it at the time. Rod (general Audio) said you can't have this unit but we will get another, so I returned the P-307. Just before returning the unit I discovered a tweeter had died and I had to wait for a replcement from The U.K. So I put everything on hold.
Part 2:
The phono preamp has now morphed into a Grant P-307 and I fixed my speaker and discovered the RCA cable I used for my old Phono stage was actually the real problem with my old Phono stage. It turn out my old stage (Rotel 970 BQ) actually had good detail and good bass and did I really need to replace it after all? So I brought home the P-307 and the difference was more subtle than my first listen. The big difference is 3 dimensionality, the Grant is presenting a soundstage with width and depth and the tonal texture seems more lifelike. The instruments are imaging with greater depth into the soundstage. The added bonus with the P-307 is the tube buffer input for other than a turntable. I used only the 0.25mv output and because I run through my main preamp that works the best. I hooked up my tuner and the Cd player and Dvd player and tried all to compare. I really liked the sound of the tuner through it and it improved the DvD analog sound. My regular gear sounded best with the CD player with out the buffer.
My conclusion I think for the money it is a great moving magnet phono preamp better than the budget gear $200 and less. It compares favorably to the Project phono tube box at the same price point but the tube buffer is a value add that is quite unique. But you can only buffer one component in the chain at a time! [/b]

[igrant]

Thanks for your review Solidstate9. I let it ride for a bit, because I get bored of seeing my name always as the last post

Rod at General Audio keeps saying that the P-307 is the best thing he's heard as a phono section for a long time without spending big bucks. He keeps selling me out of these (i've had to grab the last one back from him, before he sold that yesterday:) I think phono pre-amps are

What kind of CD Player do you have? I had a Rotel way back when all amps had phono sections, CD were a wet dream and really liked it matched to some KEF's.

The P-307 isn't a buffer/processor as it is a pre-amp, but can function similar to a buffer if you want. I have been mentioning this lately, the factory's designer calls the B-283 a processor, the Chinglish translation has ended up calling it a Buffer somehow.

Just a thought, not knowing what your main pre-amp is and since you are basically running 2 pre-amps in series, have you tried patching your pre-amp into the P-307 and then using the .7v outputs to your amp?

Best,
Ian

[solidstate9]

Thanks Ian and Rod for the feedback. the P-307 is my first tube piece and as I bought it as a phono preamp that's how it is set up. I did try for fun running my Simaudio Supernova CD throught it through the RCA connects and it just doesn't have the depth in the soundstage or imaging of my simaudio P7 running balanced XLR's. But I will use the "buffer" stage for my tuner as it is more holographic than without. My gear stack is not readily accessable to switch cables so I have not tried running the P-307 direct to my amp. But I listened to that set up at General audio and I thought that some day I will go direct. At General audio the P-307 was driving a pair of utopia Diva? speakers ($17,000) so whats not to like! I use the Eichmann express 6 cables to connect the same as general audio. by the way i haven't listened to many CD's since I GOT the P-307!

[solidstate9]

I have been using the P 307 for phono almost exclusively and it is just dandy. I just bought an aftermarket power cord to try with it and it seems to improve the transient attack (drums and strings) and low level clarity (vocals and low level detail). I assume it is just lowering the noise floor to give the improvements I am hearing.

[solidstate9]

Well 2 years goes by fast and I have used the phono with my MM5 + goldring cart.; and now a Rega Planar 2 w shure v15 type3 cartridge. I have also hooked it up to my E-mu 404 USB soundcard via the 0.7mv output. So I can needle drop and listen to the vinyl at the same time. The 2 outputs makes this unit very handy for the needledrops.
What is next for a GF tube phono stage Ian?

[igrant]

Hi SS, We have designed a few prototypes that exceeded the P-307, but production versions at the price point haven't panned out. So we are re-launching the P-307 as is again.

We do have the amazing Opera phono-stages, bit pricier.

btw, our forum is now over at www.audiokarma.org. This one will go into read only mode soon.

Good to hear from you.

Cheers,
Ian
_________________
www.grantfidelity.com
Come see us at FSI 2009, RM 909
Sign up for the GF Newsletter
Coupon Codes !!

[solidstate9]

See you at audiokarma!

[igrant]

_________________
www.grantfidelity.com
Come see us at FSI 2009, RM 909
Sign up for the GF Newsletter
Coupon Codes !!