Music First Audio LP103 LCR phono preamp I first got wind that Music First Audio (MFA)was working on its first phono stage a couple of years ago. I made sure I kept tags on progress until finally I got word in July that the new LP103 LCR was ready for production. The eagerly-anticipated first review […]
Modwright PH 9.0XT phono stage Modwright got its name from founder Dan Wright’s early work modifying digital products in an attempt to make them sound better in the days before high res and streaming. The company started in 2000 when Modwright upgraded a wide range of digital products using valves/tubes to enhance their sound, today […]
Cyrus 40 PPA phono stage Dispensing his version of the genre’s history, piano playing jazz dude Ben Sidran sang about the underrated importance of a good travel agent. It goes on a bit but it’s quite good, especially the slightly less long live performance (just over 13 minutes) from the 1986 LP On The Live […]
Accuphase C-57 phono stage Accuphase is a little different from many of the Japanese brands most people are familiar with. They say they are not interested in mass production and what they see as “its inevitable compromises”. Their philosophy is to produce smaller runs of components that “focus on sound quality and that are a […]
Michell Apollo phono stage It has been a while since Michell launched any electronics that weren’t directly related to controlling the speed of a turntable but the company’s history in this area dates back over 30 years to their first phono stage the Michell Iso. That compact but very effective preamp was designed for Michell […]
Grimm Audio PW1 phono stage Grimm Audio is a name associated with high end digital, its MU1 and MU2 streamers having established the company as one of the most technologically advanced in the sector. However, Grimm’s first product was an active DSP loudspeaker system and its most recent is a phono stage, even digital enthusiasts […]
Ifi Audio Zen Phono 3 phono stage In the world of audio separates, the vast majority of electronic devices are housed in some form of 17inch (430mm) wide box. The height and depth may vary, but the width is generally the same. Of course some manufacturers have managed to get all the necessary components into […]
Vertere Calon phono preamplifier It’s about time that Vertere produced a phono preamp or stage to match their stunning turntables, arms and cartridges and in the spring of 2024 that finally happened with Calon. The word is apparently Welsh for heart, Vertere’s financial guy is from those parts and company founder/designer Touraj Moghaddam wanted something […]
Moonriver 505 Hybrid phono stage Regular readers may recognise the Moonriver brand name from two earlier reviews which I submitted for the company’s 404 integrated amplifier, in January 2021 and its more powerful sibling the 404 Reference integrated amplifier, in June of last year. To save you scrolling back through the archives let me summarise […]
Leema Neutron & Graviton pre & power amplifiers Leema Acoustics launched its Quantum range of entry level electronics late last year, the first to come our way are the Neutron, an analogue and digital preamplifier bristling with input options and boasting onboard DAC and MM/MC phono stage, and the matching Graviton is a 150 Watt […]
Mola Mola Lupe phono stage At a retail price just shy of £7,500 Mola Mola’s Lupe phono stage can hardly be characterised as entry level, but neither can it be classified as overly expensive if we consider the broader market. At the risk of losing readers struggling to square the sometimes quite ridiculous cost of […]
SPL Phonos MM/MC phono stage German company SPL is one of a small coterie of brands that produce components for both audio enthusiasts and professional studios. There aren’t many other electronics companies whose products are used extensively in both worlds, this is more common with loudspeakers where the demands are not so different but if […]