Overall, it's just crazy good for the price. I'm sure there's some higher-end stuff out there that would sound a little better, but I've tried a few more expensive phono stages that weren't as good. I'm very happy with it and I'm done looking to upgrade. On top of that, the variable capacitance and rumble filter are really nice features you don't always get, even for significantly more money. This one's a no-brainer, unless you have a high-end system and are willing to spend much more.

Sound
This thing sounds better than it has a right to for the money. I've bought and returned several "budget audiophile" phono stages I didn't like as much as the ART. Nice, even tonal balance and reasonably open sound... Decent bass weight for a budget phono stage.

Features
Two capacitance choices and a switchable rumble filter can come in handy and are very nice bonuses at this price. The signal / clipping indicator is over the top for the price too. The gain control can be a little "tweaky". I would set it while shooting for the most balanced frequency responce, rather than just how loud you want it.

Ease of Use
Just plug it in and it works.

Quality
The quality seems very nice for the price. It's mostly surface mount micro parts, but premium capacitors are used in the signal path for the RIAA EQ. Power regulation and filtering look better than average. The ART comes with… read more a 1000 mA wall wart which is much beefier than what comes with most of the competition. No upgrade necessary for good sound. The signal to noise ratio is excellent.

Value
The ART is an unbeatable value. It outperforms some products selling for three times the price and more.

Manufacturer Support
n/a

The Wow Factor
It's a nice looking little aluminum box. Nice little light show... The power LED can burn your eyes out...

Musical Background:
Hobbyist

Musical Style:
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