Hardware Reviews

Vertere Calon kills the noise and reveals the power of vinyl

Vertere Calon phono stage review https://the-ear.net

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 short that indicates how critical the phono stage is to any vinyl playing system, Calon fits that bill.

It is a considerably more ambitious phono stage than the Phono-1 MkII that was the only example in the range before Calon yet both are based around the same basic circuit, it’s just that the implementation on this stage is no-holds barred nor expense spared. And it’s not just a beefed up power supply and a nicer box but includes a rather unusual approach to the problem of improving the sound of moving coil cartridges that relates to the RIAA equalisation curve used to cut vinyl records. This boosts the highs and drops the low frequencies so that a cartridge can trace the fine modulations in a groove without difficulty, the RIAA filter inside every phono stage has to do the opposite, it boosts the low frequencies and reduces the high ones. Which in the case of moving coil cartridges with their tiny output voltages means that the bass signal is coming in a ludicrously low level, Touraj estimates it to be 1,000 lower than the highs.

So he decided to add gain before the RIAA stage, to amplify the raw unequalised signal so that it is less likely to be corrupted by the filter, especially in the bass. This is effectively what a step-up transformer does and probably explains their popularity in some circles, but transformers have their own pros and cons including non-linearities in phase. By amplifying the signal prior to equalisation, the Calon drops the noise floor significantly and provides headroom that most MC stages can only dream of. Calon offers adjustable gain at both the input and output stages with either 10 or 20dB available at the input and plus 2, 4, 6 and 8dB at the output, the maximum gain of the preamp is 73dB which is more than the majority of cartridges require.

Vertere Calon phono stage review https://the-ear.net

The other unusual feature on Calon is a subsonic or LF filter, this used to be a common switch on amplifiers in the pre digital era, the idea being that by cutting the very lowest frequencies, essentially those below 10Hz, you eliminate problems associated with record warps and traffic rumble found on some classical releases back in the day. Vertere included this option because it has another benefit which is that by not sending inaudible low frequencies to the power amplifier you are making its life easier. You may have seen cones moving because of record warp even though no sound comes out, when playing vinyl through a big speaker at higher levels this movement undermines the loudspeaker’s linearity and colours the sound. If it can be cut out without affecting the bass notes on the record you have a clear benefit.

Some may be surprised that the Calon doesn’t have balanced inputs which are found on a few high end phono stages but Touraj makes the point that a phono cartridge is not a true balanced source. Cartridges have a separate earth for each channel but do not provide an inverted version of the signal which is the case with differential balanced connections as provided by other sources, including the output of this preamp. The input is therefore on RCA connections only but there are a few extra elements on the back of the unit, with separate chassis and tonearm earth points for the turntable and a separate chassis ground for the phono stage itself. Then there are earthing switches for each channel with three settings for a low resistance ‘hard ground’, a lift with no ground connection and a ‘soft ground’ high resistance setting. Vertere recommends using the last option unless there are hum issues in which case the other options will be useful.

The Calon has a wide range of impedance or resistance options to choose from which range from 100 Ohms to 1.5kOhms, two controls allow you to choose between low and high ranges with the setting indicated by a white LED. Capacitance is similarly controlled and while most manufacturers don’t mention it Vertere suggests that some MCs benefit from higher capacitance which controls high frequency excess. This can also be achieved with a lower resistance setting but that tends to ‘shut down’ the sound and is best avoided.

Vertere Calon phono stage review https://the-ear.net

The Calon is a nicely put together piece of kit as the images hopefully reveal, the controls are particularly nice and easy to understand albeit the manual will come in handy in the first instance. Unlike a lot of phono stages all the settings are easily accessible on the front panel, there’s no need to fiddle with dip switches on the back or inside the unit.

Sound quality

I used the Vertere Calon with my Rega Naia and its Aphelion 2 moving coil for the majority of the review, it’s the best turntable, arm and cartridge that I have heard and proved to be a very good match with the resistance set to 100 Ohms and gain at +20dB. Later on I also tried a couple of other cartridges in order to get a broader idea of the preamp’s potential.

The first hint that you get of the Calon’s capabilities is in its background noise level which is notably lower than is usually the case. Moving coil phono stages have to provide massive amounts of amplification to get the sub half a millivolt output up to over a volt required at the output, doing this without amplifying noise is a real challenge and the reason why MC stages cost more than the MM variety. The Calon has clearly been designed with very low noise as a goal because even the quietest sounds can be identified as elements of musical notes, these may be reverberation or instrumental harmonics but defining them as well as this phono stage does makes for a considerably more complete and rich detailing of the music being reproduced. It increases the signal to noise ratio which makes for wider dynamic range and thus more dramatic impact when the music provides energy. It also means that more intimate pieces are full of nuance, of small details that increase the sense of presence and realism.

Vertere Calon phono stage review https://the-ear.net

I went to see a British jazz pianist called Sultan Stevenson recently, he was accompanied by a bass player and drummer in a small venue where the natural dynamics of the drums stole the show in volume terms for those of us sitting close to the stage. Playing Stevenson’s album Faithful One via the Calon provided a much better balance and allowed me to appreciate his playing much more fully thanks to the way that this phono stage lets you hear all the subtleties of the playing. Next time I won’t sit so close to the stage!

The vintage copy of The Hissing of Summer Lawns that I bought recently is not the warmest of pressings, the Speakers Corner reissue that I had already actually sounds better, but the Calon manages to avoid making an issue of this by emphasising the brilliance of the composition and playing. Pulling out the superb qualities of Joni Mitchell’s vocals and allowing me to hear the meaning behind the words in quite uncanny fashion. Edith and the Kingpin was genuinely sublime and the interwoven rhythms of album highlight, Don’t Interrupt the Sorrow, superbly articulated.

The Calon is extremely sensitive to recording levels, I guess that is part of its fundamental quietness. Switching from the Liv Andrea Hauge Trio to Kham Meslien’s Fantômes… Futurs required a substantial reduction in system volume even though both are recent releases. The double bass playing of Meslien has real drive to it via the Vertere, which adds no blur or colour of its own but lets the lean, taut playing come through in agile, fat free style which reveals both the way in which the instrument is played and the feeling behind it, not to mention the muscular sound of the bass itself. Laura Marling’s Soothing (Semper Femina) manages to sound more relaxed than usual which surprised me, and may have been because the stylus was cold. It is usually apparent that the sound of the Aphelion 2 improves by the third track but I have never been struck by this change quite so clearly as with the Calon. It’s the price you pay for transparency and it exposed the backing vocals rather more effectively than usual in the process, these are usually masked by the bass playing but once again the very low noise floor exposed new details, especially in the higher frequencies.

Vertere Calon phono stage review https://the-ear.net

High notes do seem to be the most obvious beneficiaries of low noise, they are the most easily corrupted because their harmonics are so delicate but the Calon proves that if you can keep noise out of the way there are musical riches to be found among them. Around this point I received a Vertere HB power cable to try with the Calon, one with a schuko plug that could be connected to the Ansuz Mainz8 distributor I use. This proved to be a very good move as it improved timing which was already very strong and added a vibrancy to the tone across the board. Steely Dan’s Show Biz Kids gained both body and bounce while imaging more precisely. I was quite surprised to hear that it rises in level towards the end and in fairly dramatic fashion which is not something that has been apparent in the past, and this track has been on rotation for a long time. My Old School is the other highlight from Countdown to Ecstasy And sounded absolutely stonking, the phrase cooking with gas appearing in the notes, a sure sign that I was getting carried away by the music (again). Julian Lage’s much more recent release Speak to Me sounded superb too, the imaging being supreme thanks to the Calon’s ability to expose all the quiet sounds that define the acoustic signature of each instrument and the way it was recorded.

With a different back end, the Viva Solista MkII valve amp and Piega Coax 611 speakers, it was more obvious that the Calon delivers dynamics with considerable energy and finesse. Defining the timbre of the brass instruments on Conjure’s Music for the Texts of Ishmael Reed with a degree of insight that is genuinely rare. This is one of those components that makes it very clear that digital still has a long way to go before it can compete with a great turntable and phono stage like this, the degree of resolution and precision of timing makes vinyl the format to beat. And that was apparent before playing an original pressing of Led Zeppelin III, Gallows Pole is always great but here it was phenomenal, despite the limited low frequency energy the bass and drums have a power and drive that is extraordinary, there is absolutely no option to sit still; stomping and flailing are unavoidable when the groove is this powerful.

Vertere Calon phono stage review https://the-ear.net

In an effort to get a handle on how the Calon works with other MC cartridges I set up a Van den Hul Colibri on the Naia and set the impedance to 470 Ohms which is pretty close to, the Colibri’s preferred 500 Ohms. This provided a big bright picture of considerable scale especially in width terms, the speed and coherence making for highly engaging results. I really enjoyed the intensity of the horns and guitars on Him’s New Features but found the overall balance a little bit too up front in the long term. It is fine for the more relaxed stuff but not as relaxed as the Aphelion 2 overall. I also set up a Transfiguration Proteus in the Rega, this requires a 100 Ohm impedance which the Calon has on offer and proved to be a better match to both turntable and phono stage. It delivered the lovely poise on Court and Spark as played by Norah Jones and Herbie Hancock, with all of the detail and atmosphere revealed. This cartridge isn’t as immediate as the Aphelion 2 but delivers a richly rendered version of events that is very easy to enjoy.

Conclusion

The Vertere Calon is an expensive phono preamplifier but it is the best I have heard thanks to an uncannily low noise floor, I doubt there are many that could equal it. The Calon really does expand the potential of the vinyl format in ways that are quite extraordinary, I have always felt that vinyl is the best medium available to the music lover who wants to listen to a broad variety of material and the Calon reinforces that to significant degree. If you want to get maximum musical thrill power get yourself a great record player and hook it up to this Vertere, satisfaction is guaranteed.

Specifications:

Type: solid-state, MM/MC phono stage
Phono input: RCA sockets
Analogue outputs: single ended RCA, balanced XLR
Input impedance: 100 Ohms to 47K in 9 steps
Input capacitance: 100pF to 1uF in 9 steps
Output impedance: not specified
Gain: variable 45dB to 73dB in 15 steps
Output level: not specified
Signal to noise ratio: < -83dB AWD
Dimensions (HxWxD): 88 x 412 x 290mm
Weight: 7kg
Warranty: 10 years

Price when tested:
£15,500 including HB power cable
Manufacturer Details:

Vertere Ltd
T+44 (0)203 176 4888
vertereacoustics.com

Type:

phono stage

Author:

Jason Kennedy

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments