Head Cases

by Andrew Harrison, Hifi News & Record Review, April 2000

This six-way group test looks at a fresh intake of new phono stages, to enhance the art of record replay

Whereas every amplifier once featured an input for a gramophone/record player/turntable/deck (select one according to age), the amplifier with a ready input for playing a record is now very much in the minority. So it’s just as well there’s a healthy selection of phono stages available.

As a testament to the enduring belief in perfecting record replay, all six designs featured here are new models from recent times: new standards are still being set for vinyl replay performance.

Michell Delphini

Michell Engineering’s Iso has been replaced with this all-new design, courtesy of electronics expertise from Trichord Research. The Delphini is a modular unit, available in several permutations, and for this test the focus was on the stereo version with the fully-regulated power supply. This combination is priced at £*** - below this there is an option with a simpler power supply for £***, while the ultimate set-up is the £**** Delphini Mono, consisting of four separate boxes, one head amp per channel, each with its own PSU. There is a progressive upgrade path such that the base version can be added to or exchanged to reach the top-of-the-range monoblock version.

The Delphini is designed with moving coil cartridges in mind, and has a choice of three different gain settings adjustable with internal jumpers. These are Normal (for cartridges of 0.4-0.6mV output), Low (0.25-0.4mV) and Ultra Low (0.1-0.25mV). Input impedance can be set to 33 Ohms, 100 Ohms, 330 Ohms or 1 kOhm. The High Resolution regulated supply uses a 160 VA toroidal transformer, with noise-filtered rectification, a low-impedance capacitor array and active voltage regulation to follow. A silver-plated, PTFE-insulated cable carries +/-22V to the main unit, and locking plugs on each end keep the boxes united. Siting was found to be important for best results, with the amp unit positioned away from the power supply.

The Delphini had the most accurate sound, being quick and agile with incredible clarity; the nearest to reaching the accolade ‘transparent’. A small quibble would be its ruthless efficiency at showing home-truths about records, where a lesser stage can sometimes be welcomed! Its ability to hold a note as it decayed into nothing was unparalleled within the group.

First listen suggested a higher than usual noise floor but this was more a testament to the high levels of gain on offer. If set to Low with the MC Jubilee cartridge, it sounded as quiet as the best.

Compared to a known Kinshaw Perception, I found the Delphini was lighter and slightly less congested, a little better at pulling darker mixes apart. It also lacked the latter’s forward drive, substituting a more neutral presence than filled the stereo space evenly.

The treble end was very pure and seemingly without ceiling, delicate but focused.

Conclusions

With a range of prices from less than £400 to over £1100, it is not surprising that we should discover varying levels of performance. All the units worked admirably and to an extent the choice between some of these will de dictated by personal belief in what constitutes a good sound.

In simple terms this can be narrowed to whether you may prefer precision or compassion. For example, the Delphini, in one hand, trumped at revelation, while the VH1 played with its heart on its sleeve. That said, both units sounded stunning. The Cyrus aEQ7 sounded in control and snappy, and will make friends with its neat lines, ample facilities and upgradeability. It worked very well, although its dry sound means it may take a little acclimatisation to its record interpretation.

Lehmann’s no-nonsense Black Cube was the least captivating of the group, but this characteristic was reflected in its lower retail price. At the end of the day, it did what it said on the box – that is, provided gain for MM and MC cartridges – with few technical frills to confuse the layman.

Musical Fidelity’s X-LP² was the most visually prominent, yet its sound abilities were reliable and unpretentious, a good mid-point between the basic budget phono stages available and the four-figure high-end beasts. And anyone with doubts about the capabilities and honesty of valve phono amplification should definitely take a close look at the Paul Hynes Design VH1/VV1 combo. Clean and incisive, it also possessed the purity of good thermionic design, was blissfully quiet in use. The most revealing and accurate phono amp remained the Michell Delphini, which, considering its options for upgrading must be one of the best propositions on the market right now. And the best-value phono amp here, I would suggest, is the Sphinx Phono Equaliser, mixing great sound with good facilities and an inviting price.