The biggest issue audiophiles likely face concerns what to do with all the huge and unsightly cables connecting components together. Of course, a faction of audiophilia considers big, beefy cable muy grande macho. However, not everyone wants a massive cable loom lurking in a listening room, which often doubles as a living room.

Attending lectures from various cable manufacturers isn’t much help. Most firms tend to justify their approach. Companies producing large cables try to convince you that a small diameter cable can’t possibly work. Whatever. Physics aside, after spending a lot of time with the Micro Diamond interconnects and speaker cables plugged into a wide range of components and speakers, they not only work brilliantly, they are beautifully executed.

And yes, these actually are cables you’d want your friends to see. Packaged like fine jewelry, they arrive in velvet pouches and inside black boxes—elegantly understated and nicely done without costing a fortune. A one-meter pair of interconnects (RCA or XLR) retails for $850, and is also available as a turntable cable with appropriate termination for $1,000. A 2.5-meter speaker cable set costs $2,950 in bananas or spades.

Crystal Cable director Gaby van der Kley works with the man behind Siltech cables and spent years touring the world as a concert pianist. She’s definitely a designer that knows what instruments sound like.

Going Against The Grain

Most audio cables on today’s market utilize copper or silver conductors, and some are primarily one material with a coating of the other on top. Crystal Cable takes a disparate path, using gold along with a silver primary conductor. Yet the gold isn’t for coating.  Rather, it’s almost impregnated in the silver to fill in molecular gaps in the 1.7mm conductor.

If I had a $20 bill for every talk I’ve heard on cable size, geometry, and the like, I could probably retire. Those subscribing to the “bigger is better” school of thought claim a svelte cable can’t deliver powerful bass response. But Micro Diamond cables are not bass deficient.

Beyond terrific audio performance, Micro Diamond speaker cables offer an interesting feature: scalability. Crystal Cable calls the ends “splitters,” and they can be purchased with a number of different termination options: standard spades or bananas, Furutech carbon spades, or bananas and bi-wired. You can also add another length of cable should you need to reroute your system down the road. Considering the low prices fetched by used cable, this strategy is an excellent way to future-proof your cable purchase and retain your investment.

Listening Sessions

The toughest part of any cable evaluation is trying to determine the sound of the cable. In a perfect world, a cable would add no sonic signature to the signal passing through it. Predictably, some industry folk would have you think all wire sounds the same. However, we believe cable makes a difference in the overall sound of a system and should do no harm to the signal.

While many listeners use cable as the last step in fine-tuning a system—employing cables as tone controls—we view high-quality cable as the way to transfer as much of your system’s performance from one component to another, and finally, to your loudspeakers. More than gross tonal changes, the main difference heard between second- and first-rate cable deals with reducing grain and increasing low-level detail retrieval, not unlike the qualities provided by an excellent power conditioner.

Auditioning Micro Diamond cables in three different systems—small, medium and super-size—achieved good results. The compact setup comprised a vintage CJ amp and preamp, Schiit Bifrost DAC, and pair of MartinLogan Aerius i speakers cabled with various odds and ends. The medium system consisted of a Simaudio 600i integrated amplifier, Wadia 121 DAC, and pair of Harbeth Compact 7-IIIES speakers. The final stereo array (publisher Jeff Dorgay’s standard reference system) involved Audio Research REF components, a dCS Paganini stack, and GamuT S9 speakers cabled with a mixture of Shunyata Aurora, Cardas Clear, and AudioQuest Sky cables.

A majority of acoustic recordings— selections heavy on piano, drums, and acoustic guitars—were played to quickly establish the cable’s proprietary sonics. The latter are highly revealing, with an upfront presentation akin to listening to studio monitors in a near-field configuration. Given Ms. van der Kley’s background, it comes as no surprise that piano reproduction via her cables feels sublime. Whether listening to Herbie Hancock or Beethoven, the instrument’s complex attack and subtle overtones are always maintained and never become harsh or blurred.

If any of your components possess a tonal balance anywhere between neutral and warm/romantic/euphonic, you will be amazed at the additional detail the Micro Diamonds bring to your system’s overall appeal. When utilized with the B&W 802 Diamonds, already a highly resolving speaker with the diamond tweeter and most solid state amplifiers is a presentation that is too forward for some. Still, TONEAudio counts a detail fanatic in its ranks that can never get enough resolution. He loved this combination.

The Micro Diamonds make the biggest improvement in an all-tube system, especially one that leans more towards warm tonality. With the Conrad Johnson PV-12 (recently rebuilt by CJ with CJD Teflon capacitors) and either the MV-50 (same treatment) or PrimaLuna Dialogue monoblocks, the Diamonds’ ability to transfer every bit of information adds a spectacular level of inner detail to this system without compromising musicality in any way.

A similar result can be achieved via speakers ever so slightly on the warm side of neutral. Vide, Harbeth Compact 7s really come alive with Crystal Cables. The sound in our test speakers from Focal, Verity, GamuT, and Peak Consult (all fairly neutral) now boast a different disposition. There’s more resolution, and it’s musically satisfying. What more can one ask?

The Crystal Cable Micro Diamond Cables

MSRP: Interconnect, 1m – $850, Speaker, 2.5m – $2,950

www.crystalcable.com

www.audioplusservices.com  (US/Canada Importer)

Moving speakers around your listening room to get the best possible sound can be both frustrating and fruitless.  Depending on the size and type of the speakers, you could spend countless hours getting them in just the right position and, even then, the sound still might not be perfect, because the listening environment itself plays a huge role in defining that sweet spot and achieving auditory bliss.

Room treatments are another headache.  You tell yourself that your speakers will sound way better with those gigantic bass traps you’ve been lusting after, but you can only fit so much stuff into a room before friends and loved ones either intervene or nominate you to star in one of those reality shows about people who hoard things.  Indeed, this process of generating the desired audio orbs down to the millimeter can quickly drive you mad.  And don’t even get us started on the tape marks on the floor. As a good audiophile buddy reminds us: “The amount of blue masking tape on your listening-room floor is directly proportional to how close to a nervous breakdown you might be.”

Meet Mac’s Magic Box

Of course, a room that’s been properly treated with the speakers optimally placed is still the Holy Grail.  Unfortunately, most of us don’t ever quite achieve this, so our rack of expensive gear never reaches its full potential.  This is why the engineers at McIntosh Labs created the MEN220.  It doesn’t use magic exactly; just a serious amount of heavy-duty science, to produce magical results, which seem all the more supernatural considering how easy it is to set up.

For the MEN220, McIntosh licensed RoomPerfect technology from Danish audio wizard Peter Lyngdorf, whose Steinway Lyngdorf music systems, which cost upwards of a couple hundred grand, utilize this proprietary room-correction software to optimize the system for any listening environment. TONE gear editor Bailey S. Barnard has written about Steinway Lyngdorf more than once in these pages and has always come away impressed. Whereas the Lyngdorf systems require a certified technician to implement the optimization software, the MEN220 allows you, the end user, to place the box between your amplifier and preamplifier, or within a processor loop if your preamplifier has one.  The MEN220 works with balanced or single-ended components, so it will integrate into any system where a break between the preamplifier and power amplifier exists.  Then, with a few simple measurements (okay, maybe more like 10), you’ll be on your way.  But, we promise, it’s easier than it sounds—and it’s certainly less maddening than inching your speakers into the exact right spot and festooning your room with foam sound traps.  Plus, it’s kind of a fun process that will make you feel like the acoustic engineer you’ve always told yourself you had the ability to be.

Once you fully install the MEN220, break out the calibrated microphone and long cord that McIntosh includes in the box.  The 220’s onboard processor is equipped with internal microprocessors, which measure the reflections in your room and make corrections for the peaks and dips in frequency response.  The included literature instructs you to take the first reading as close as possible to where your head is when listening to music.  This will return a reading, or “room-knowledge” score, of about 75% and will substantially improve how your system interacts with your room—but the MEN220 is capable of much more.

Additional measurements, each taken from a different spot, increase the room-knowledge score.  The higher the score, the more you will realize how much you were missing.  Using the 220 with McIntosh’s C50 preamplifier improves things even further, thanks to the C50’s built-in graphic equalizer, which allows you to fine-tune the MEN220’s audio achievements.  After a few different setups, we realized that bumping the room knowledge index above 92% eliminates the need for the onboard EQ in the C50.

Room Challenges

We put the MEN220 through its paces in a few different environments to judge its effectiveness in a treated room, a relatively inert, non-treated room and our publisher Jeff Dorgay’s living room, which has to be one of the worst-sounding rooms anyone on our staff has experienced, with major anomalies in the bass and midrange regions.  The MEN220 made a minimal difference in Jeff’s treated room with full range speakers, but in the other two environments, the 220 achieved significant gains in terms of clarity and coherence.

Wow!

When using the 220, more inner detail becomes instantly apparent.  The 24-bit remaster of the Beatles’ “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window” from the Abbey Road album, startles with the level of clarity now present in this recording.  The corrections made Paul’s bass line much easier to follow, gave Ringo’s percussion its own space and elevated the backup vocals that were buried in the mix.  After the first of many test tracks, everyone was stunned at how much of a difference the 220 makes.

The piano hidden deep in the background of “Bang and Blame” (from the HDtracks download of the R.E.M. album Monster) now has much more airiness lingering well behind the right speaker, again exhibiting more clarity throughout the frequency range, with the bonus of additional dynamic information.

The wood block in the tune “Rich Woman,” which Robert Plant and Alison Krauss released in 2007 on their Raising Sand collaborative album, jumps out of the speakers.  With an almost surreal effect, it now sounds like someone is whacking the wood block about a foot in front of the listening chair.  Where was this thing in the 1970s when we all got really high listening to music?

Any thoughts of altered reality wouldn’t be complete without listening to some Doors.  “Riders on the Storm” was beyond psychedelic.  Again, the amount of bass resolution now on tap thanks to the 220 is stunning.  The piano floats wistfully in the air, instead of just being locked in between the speakers as it was before engaging the 220.

Like an eight-year-old boy, Jeff determined not to eat what’s on his plate.  He didn’t want to like the MEN220—because it’s sooo un-purist, sooo un-audiophile.  (Perhaps non-20th-century audiophile is more accurate.)  But with enough computer power under the hood to launch a spaceship, the 220 quickly converts the non-believers.  Then staff member Jerold O’Brien’s girlfriend asked the fateful question: “We can get rid of all that stuff hanging on the walls if you have this box, right?”  Like watching Wile E. Coyote scheming on how to catch the Road Runner, you could see O’Brien’s gears turning.  He looked nervous and made a quick exit.

Vintage O-rama

Sure, the MEN220 did a great job with the $8,500-per-pair Dynaudio Confidence C1s, and it was spectacular with the $23,000 Sonus faber Elipsa SEs, but it was time to try something way off base.  So we hauled out the circa-1970s JBL L-100 speakers.  And, as crazy and as “un-audiophile” as this seems, the JBLs underwent the most miraculous transformation of all.

The L-100s are fun speakers, but their sound is decidedly vintage, even with world-class electronics powering them.  After a quick set of measurements, they sounded like a pair of speakers that you’d expect to cost a lot more.  The JBLs still had their limitations—the upper register is still slightly grainy and there is a touch of bass bloat that even the EQ can’t fix—but they now have natural midrange and throw a huge soundstage with some serious pinpoint imaging.  Don’t believe us?  Stop by our room at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest this October (www.audiofest.net) and have a listen.  We’ll be showcasing the MEN220 with the JBL-L100s in the TONEAudio “Chill Out” room.

Of course, running the 220 with the JBLs triggered a major classic-rock listening session.  Christine McVie’s voice on “Songbird” from Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours floated whimsically in the air between the speakers.  As easily as with any pair of audiophile-approved loudspeakers, the massive increase in system resolution enabled us to readily discern between high-resolution and standard digital files playing through the JBLs.  The 220 transformed the title track of Bowie’s Young Americans (again in 24/96) into an eerily immersive experience.  We could not believe this was the same pair of speakers purchased on eBay a few years ago for relatively little money.  Listening to the DVD-Audio rip of the Grateful Dead’s American Beauty was much trippier, thanks to the MEN220—not an acid flashback or all the Dead karma coming back from the days when the band used McIntosh amplification for their live show. Either way, it really enhanced the listening experience.

Truth or Dare

So how close does the MEN220 bring a modest setup, with randomly placed speakers, to the megabuck systems, carefully tuned and tweaked in a room full of treatments?  Much closer than any of us expected.  Of course, there still is no substitute for cleaning up the acoustics with the proper treatments, but the only place the 220 comes up a little short is when playing a super high-performance analog recording.  The digital processing does take that last 5% of sparkle out of the equation, but this is on a system worth a garage full of Porsches.  In every other system we placed the MEN220, it delivered a stunning level of improvement.

While the magic box will not turn a $400 pair of white van speakers into a pair of $160,000 Wilson Alexandrias—even magic has its limitations—the more resolving your speakers, the more accurate of a measurement the MEN220 will be able to make.  We were constantly flabbergasted by how much better an average room sounds with the MEN220 in the loop.  The biggest gains are in the mid-bass range, with upper-range smoothness a close second.  Cleaning up the mid-bass mess allows your speakers to deliver much cleaner midrange response with better imaging.

Reclaim Your Life

If you’re part of the lunatic (and we mean that in the best possible way) fringe of audiophelia that has a purpose-built listening room, you don’t need the MEN220.  But if you are a music lover who has spent a fair amount on a system that still leaves you feeling a bit short-changed, or your speakers are still in the wrong place, nirvana is only $4,500 away.  You could spend this on a few marginal tweaks that won’t change much of anything but your bank balance, but the MEN220 will definitely get your system where you’ve always wanted it to be—and it’s a hell of a lot simpler and less-maddening than moving speakers and dampening your room.  So grab an MEN220 for your system and plan a vacation with all the time and stress you’re going to save.

McIntosh MEN220

MSRP:  $4,500

www.mcintoshlabs.com

Peripherals

Features

Old School:
The Harman Kardon Rabco St-7 Turntable

By Jerold O’Brien

995: Sounds that Won’t Break the Bank
The Ortofon 2M Red and Grado Black1 Prestige Cartridges

By Jaime Lee Fritze

Journeyman Audiophile

Peachtree Audio Nova 125

By Mark Marcantonio

A Candid Conversation With Jason Isbell

By Andy Downing

Tone Style

Wino:
Art Meets The Grape
By Monique Meadows

Cardas Earspeaker 1

Johnny Cash Postage Stamps

DEVO Throbblehead

The KISS Van

The Sentinel Loudspeaker

The Moo Mat

The iPad TP Holder

Ryobi P260 Impact Drill

Leica’s M Monochrom

By Jeff Dorgay

Music

Current Releases:

Fresh Releases in the Pop/Rock World
By the TONE Staff

Live Music:
She & Him
By Bob Gendron

Audiophile Pressings

Jazz & Blues
By Jim Macnie

Previews

AURALiC Merak Power Amplifiers

Nagra 300P Amplifier

Audionet PAM G2 Phonostage

Boulder 865 Integrated Amplifier

Peachtree deep blue Bluetooth Music System

Reviews:

Light Harmonic DaVinci DAC
By Jacob Heilbrunn

Wilson Benesch Full Circle Turntable
By Paul Rigby

Coincident Statement Phono Preamplifier
By Jeff Dorgay

IQ Audio 300M Amplifiers
By Rob Johnson

Pass Xs300 Monoblocks
By Jeff Dorgay

AVA Ultravalve Amplifier
By Jeff Dorgay

Viola Bravo Amplifier
By Jeff Dorgay

Rogers EHF-200 Mk.2
By Jeff Dorgay

Slummin’

Five years ago, when visiting the Rega factory in the UK, I joined a group of Rega dealers to witness something very special at Rega founder Roy Gandy’s house.

A new skeletal plinth design that was supposed to be a step above the flagship P9, featuring a one off, ceramic platter and what appeared to be an RB1000 tonearm.  Needless to say the sound was fantastic and the following day, back at the factory, we saw more.  Gandy and staff were coy, referring to it as a “prototype,” and a “work in progress,” tempering our enthusiasm, telling us that “it could be out in a few months, a few years, or not at all.”  So, I returned to the States empty-handed, but I did learn how to play cricket.

But time flies when your having fun, and we now have the RP8, looking surprisingly like that prototype I saw years ago, but for a few minor changes.  And, on one level the RP8 is a pretty big jump forward for Rega.  They have always championed a low mass plinth design as the path to analog greatness and the website hints that “this is the first of the skeletal plinth designs.”

Featuring a new RB808 tonearm, which looks like a further refinement of the direction taken with the RB303 on the RP6 turntable, introduced last year, and also features new, lower capacitance tonearm cables, that look very audiophile-like in nature. The RP8 has an MSRP of $2,995, however US customers can purchase one with Rega’s $1,800 Apheta MC cartridge attached and set up for $3,995.  A major bargain, if you have the right phono stage.

The hub/subplatter features a machined aluminum cap, extending all the way down so the belts can contact the full surface. Rega claims that this, combined with the new tonearm provides for increased resolution, and the first record auditioned, Herbie Hancock’s Empyrean Isles brings a new perspective on this Blue Note classic, and illustrates a turntable, tonearm and cartridge all working together as a system.

One of the toughest things facing an analog enthusiast is getting this combination correct, so that the optimum trackability, resolution and stereo separation can be achieved.  Freddie Hubbard’s Coronet bleats out of the left channel, completely occupying the left half of the listening room, with the proper height and spatial relationships – is both beguiling and convincing. The drum kit is miked equally hard right, with Hancock on piano, gently floating in the middle, with Ron Carter’s bass keeping the bass on track, yet dissolved into the stereo image.

Quick Comparisons – up and down the range

Utilizing the Audio Research REF Phono 2SE, with two identical inputs and the ability to load both phono cartridges at the 50 ohms required for utmost HF smoothness (and honestly, my ARC SP11 mk.2, with it’s 30 ohm setting is pure bliss with the Apheta moving coil cartridge, but alas only one input) makes it a snap to compare the RP8 to both the RP6 and P9 to see just how much higher the bar has been raised.

The MoFi version of Aimee Mann’s Lost In Space underscores the improvements on two levels.  This densely layered record needs a first rate analog rig to lay bare all the intriguing textures and spatial cues, which the RP8 aces.  Perhaps even more intriguing is the LF performance of the RP8 – it’s very close to that of the P9.  If you haven’t experienced the P9, it’s not like the rest of the Rega range.   It possesses incredible weight and body.  The RP8 has a similar weighty feel, you almost don’t expect this kind of locked in bass response to come from a table that is the opposite of some of todays massive record players.

That machined aluminum subplatter pays another big dividend; much better pitch stability, and consequently revealing more low level detail.  Where Mann’s delicate voice wavers ever so slightly during “Guys Like Me” on the RP6, it is rock solid when switching to the RP8.  This doesn’t mean the RP6 is rubbish, you don’t notice the difference as easily until you play it right next to the RP8, and let’s face it, the RP8 costs twice as much.

The biggest surprise comes in a side-by-side comparison with the P9.  While the $5,000 P9 still has more LF weight and an even dreamier, more defined high end, the RP8 closes the gap tremendously, leaving this reviewer to wonder what Rega has on the horizon with the RP10.  An urge to spin the recent remaster of Devo’s Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! Illustrates the huge soundstage the Apheta is capable, with synthesizers and special effects everywhere.  Moving up to the P9 offers an even bigger soundfield, yet pace and timing are equally enticing with both decks, yet the P9 takes the lead, with the opening, distorted bass line of “Mongoloid,” offering more grunt and more texture.

Ticking the necessary boxes

It wouldn’t be an audiophile review without some female vocals, eh?  The Low + Dirty Three In the Fishtank 7 LP seemed the perfect place to start, with it’s dreamy, ethereal vocals, fading way off into the distance of the soundstage on the opening track, “I Hear…Goodnight,” with Mimi Parkers gentle brushwork on the drums so faint, it would be lost on a budget rig.  This record also clearly illustrates the ease by which the Rega combo handles the violin – exquisite.

Going up in tempo to Me’Shell Ndegeocello’s Plantation Lullabies proves that the RP8 and Apheta can rock in a major way; Ndegeocello’s thunderous bass riffs command authority with this table and cartridge anchoring her sensuous vocals all the while.

We covered the Apheta in detail in issue 10 at it’s introduction.  In five years, it’s only gone up in price $300 and my opinion hasn’t changed.  This is a fantastic cartridge with a lightnening fast response, but it must be loaded properly or it will sound harsh and thin.  With comparisons to the RP6 and P9 out of the way, I could go back to in-depth listening through the ARC SP-11 mk.2, which has an incredible on board phono stage that just happens to have a loading setting of 30 ohms – perfection for the Apheta.

This allows the cartridge to have maximum dynamics, smoothing out the HF response at the same time.  Keith Richards “You Don’t Move Me,” From his Talk is Cheap album features great acoustic playing by the riff meister that hangs between the speakers.   Richard’s voice has never been his strong suit, yet it is rendered with plenty of body here.

Regardless of the program material chosen, the RP8/Apheta combination delivers the goods. Though you’ll save a few bucks should you choose an Exact 2 cartridge, if you have a phonostage up to the task, the extra $500 for the Apheta upgrade is the smartest $500 you’ll ever spend in the world of analog.

The nitty gritty

For those not familiar with Rega turntables and phono cartridges, they are the ultimate in simplicity, when it comes to setup.  The Apheta cartridge uses three screws instead of the usual two and this provides perfect alignment.  Your RP8 can arrive with the Apheta already installed, so all you need to do is five minutes of basic assembly (fit the belt, the platter and set tracking force/anti skate) Analog bliss is about 15 minutes away, if you’re really poking.

Personally, I love the skeletal plinth and as I have no children or furry creatures to threaten my analog world, I can bask in the RP8s high tech glory.  Those less fortunate, fear not.  The RP8 comes with a traditional plinth and dust cover that will protect it from the environment.  I could not discern any audible advantage or disadvantage to the extra hardware, but congratulate Rega for providing it.  My audiophile buddies were polarized, they either thought the RP8 was really cool, or tried to explain to me how it couldn’t work.

We could discuss techie bits in further detail, but you can read about that here, on Rega’s website.  Suffice to say they all work together brilliantly and the RP8/Apheta combination reveals more music than most in its class, if not all.  Mounting the Apheta on the VPI Classic 1 gives a warmer, slightly more bass heavy presentation, but it does not offer up the resolution that the RP8 does.  It’s like the difference between a Mini Cooper S and my Fiat Abarth.  You either prefer the more nimble ride of the Abarth or the somewhat more posh ride of the Cooper.  There’s no wrong choice.

However, if you want a high performance record player with next to zero fuss required, I can think of no better choice.

My Rega journey began with the Planar 3 in 1982, and somehow over thirty years later, I have the feeling it’s not over.  Roy Gandy and his crew are a clever group, and as long as they keep refining their turntables, there will be new vinyl adventures from this fine British company.  I’m very happy to award the RP8/Apheta combination one of our Exceptional Value Awards for 2013.

-Jeff Dorgay

The Rega RP8 Turntable

MSRP:  $2,995   ($3,995 bundled with Rega Apheta MC cartridge)

www.rega.co.uk (factory)

www.soundorg.com (US importer)

Peripherals

When a new automobile hits the market, it’s common to see it on the cover of all of the major car magazines, often all in the same month.

Of course that’s the press doing their job, but what has become of the latest BMW or Corvette a season later?  Our generally Fox Terrier – like society has moved on to the newest shiny, bouncy thing, with last months toy relegated to has been status.  It’s often the same thing in the audio industry, with consumers caught up on whatever is moving and shaking; losing track of solid products.

The Zesto Andros PS1 continues to maintain high excitement among audiophiles at hifi shows around the world since its introduction last year, remaining a topic of discussion on any number of audio forums, with nary a complaint – no small feat in today’s interconnected world.  Designer George Counnas and his wife Carolyn have been buried filling orders on the Andros PS1, George has managed to find the time to develop a linestage as well, the Leto.  We’ll cover that another time, but for now it’s time to take another look at this phono stage.

A lifelong music and audio enthusiast, Counnas began his career working for Decca Navigator in England, designing navigational systems for the Royal Air Force.  He’s taken those years of experience full circle to his initial passion, hifi.  The Andros PS1 follows in the tradition of some of the best classic tube circuits utilizing four 12AX7s to get the job done, along with step up transformers to provide additional gain in the MC stage.  In MM mode, the Andros PS1 offers 45db of gain, 65db in the MC mode, with adjustable loading from 20 ohms to 1000 ohms.

Straight to the source

With an MSRP of $4,300, the Andros PS1 is a few steps beyond the journeyman enthusiast.  Even those with a table/arm/cartridge combination in the $1,000 – $2,000 range will find the PS1 provides a substantial step up in performance, but the PS1 really comes into its own coupled to a better source.

For this review, three turntable combinations were used, all with excellent results.  A wonderfully clean, albeit stock Thorens TD-124 along with an SME 3009 tonearm (carefully restored by Alfred Kayser at smetonearms.com) sporting a NOS Ortofon VMS20 mk.2 MM cartridge, A VPI Classic 1 table with VPI arm and the Ortofon Cadenza Bronze cartridge, and AMG’s V-12 turntable, 12” tonearm and the Lyra Kleos cartridge.  A number of other cartridges were tried with various gain and loading requirements to see if a curve could be thrown to the Andros PS1.  It performed without issue using cartridges having outputs from .23mv to .6mv.

Thanks to the 20-ohm setting, the Andros PS1 works particularly well with the Rega Apheta MC cartridge, which doesn’t always play well with others, but when the right combination is achieved turns in a brilliant performance.  The Andros PS1 is one of the few phonostages that can tame this great MC cartridge. One other very cool feature that the Andros PS1 offers is the ability to float the ground via a switch.  If you’ve ever been vexed by hum in your phono section, this thoughtful feature will set you free.

Taking Care of Business

Instead of talking tech forever, let’s play records instead.  Zesto puts 50 hours on each unit before they ship, a boon to the anxious audiophile.  Sounding inviting straight from the box, the Andros PS1 opens up somewhat after another 50 hours, but the delta between initial turn on and down the road isn’t dramatic.  By the time the first few albums had spun, I knew it would not be going back to the manufacturer when the review was finished.

There are some amazing phonostages up around the $10,000 level, but there aren’t many amazing units available at the $4,000 range.  Highly competent, yes, exciting – no.  The Andros PS1is a very exciting phonostage.  Elvis Costello’s Imperial Bedroom just arrived from Mobile Fidelity at the beginning of this review and even with the Thorens/Ortofon combination it is easy to discern between the two pressings, taking advantage of the additional clarity present on the remaster.

Ok, one quick geek moment.  As good as this phonostage sounds as shipped, spend another couple hundred bucks on a better set of 12AX7’s and you will be greatly rewarded.  Switching from the stock JJ’s to a set of EAT tubes rocks the Andros PS1 to an entirely new level of performance, with a major leap in dynamics and an even quieter background. The slight bit of HF etch at turn on disappeared with the installation of the EAT tubes, bestowing even more value on the Andros PS1.

Mind you, it does take about 90 minutes to fully stabilize, which seems to be more common among 12AX7 designs than those based on the 6H30, and both have their own unique sonic signature.  You either dig the 12AX7 sound or you don’t.  Where solid state phonostages seem to come out of a fog over the first few hours, the Andros PS1 starts with a somewhat small soundstage that just keeps getting bigger with time as it warms up.

Go with the flow

The Andros PS1 has a tonal correctness that becomes more evident as the hours go by.  There is a sense of flow, with notes flowing up and out of the presentation, distinctly rendered.  Oboes sound like oboes, not squawky and violins sound natural, not squeaky or harsh.  The soundfield produced by this phonostage is humungous and it helps to make the speakers disappear that much easier.

Compared to the other two exceptional phonostages in this neighborhood, the ARC PH6 and the Pass XP-15, the Zesto does not have the ultimate quiet of the ARC or the slam of the Pass, but neither possesses the flow of the Andros PS1 and this is its charm. Each of these phonostages will appeal to a different listener and offer top synergy in a different system.

What is given up in terms of precise placement across the soundstage, is returned in depth and clarity. The Stanley Clarke Trio’s recent release, Jazz in the Garden shows off the individual talents of Hiromi on piano, Lenny White on drums and Clarke on bass.  The record is very sparse, with each musician occupying plenty of space.  White’s drumming on the first cut, “Paradigm Shift” is mostly light cymbal work. The Andros PS1 renders fine tonal gradation, with the cymbals decaying into nothingness gradually, with no truncation in even the quietest sounds.  All this while Hiromi’s piano gently floats off in the distance, well behind the speakers, moving right up front as she takes prominence, then fading back again.  The result is highly convincing.

The textures revealed push the Andros PS1 into “excellent” territory.  You can feel Clarke’s fingers slide up the neck – this is not one note bass, or the least bit warm and slow.  For this reviewer, the Andros PS1 possesses that perfect mix of air, texture and tonality; retaining resolution without ever being harsh, with a tonal richness that doesn’t get muddy or lacking in pace.

Dense recordings prove easy for the Andros PS1, another area where lesser phonostages fall down.  Queen’s News of the World is fairly compressed and overmodulated throughout, keeping Freddie Mercury’s lead vocal out in front of the mix instead of being trapped in the huge ball of sound that is Queen.

Up and down the ladder

Comparing the Andros PS1 to a few higher priced phonostages (the ARC REF Phono 2, Pass XP-25 and Sim 810LP) and a few lower (Manley Chinook, EAR 834P and Sim 310LP) reinforce that the pricing of this unit is indeed spot on. Even the class leading Manley doesn’t extract the amount of information from a record that the Andros PS1 can portray.  Using a pair of identical AVID Volvere SP turntables, both with matching Dynavector DV-20X2l cartridges and SME 309 tonearms makes the comparisons a snap.  As it does moving upscale.  The Andros PS1 is a well-executed product that is intelligently priced.  And mighty nice to look at on the equipment rack as well – it’s obvious that a lot of care went into its construction.

Sampling a wide range of cartridges proved exciting.  Thanks to a high/low output MC switch, everything from the .23mv Miyajima Kansui to the .6mv Lyra Kleos, nothing proved an obstacle.  While a handful of phonostages in the $800 – $1,500 range are more heavily weighted to be MM, with the MC stage more an afterthought, the exact opposite is often true with big buck phonostages.  Conventional wisdom is that someone running a big dog phono stage is automatically running an equally spendy MC cartridge, yet the Andros PS1 takes no prisoners with its MM performance.

If you have easy access to the rear panel of the Andros PS1 in your rack, you can run one turntable with a MM cartridge in the MM input and another with MC in the MC input, using the rear panel switch to choose between them.   Which is precisely what I did, bringing the newly acquired Thorens TD-124/SME3009 combination into the mix.  The SMEs removable headshell allowed easy cartridge swaps and the NOS Ortofon VMS 20Mk. 2 (usually found for about $100) and the $1,100 Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood both turned in stellar performances.  The combination of the idler table and the VMS 20mk.2 made for an explosive rendition of many of my favorites from the early 70s.

Nothing but good news

After a solid month of intense audition, the Zesto Andros PS1 exhibits no weaknesses whatsoever.  While it has a beautiful visual aesthetic, it continues to be a joy to listen to and is ultimately musical.  With many audiophiles on a quest for gear that is increasingly more resolving, it might be easy to overlook the Andros PS1, but truly wise LP lovers will treasure the Zesto because the balance is just right.  Much like a car with perfect 50/50 weight balance, along with equal amounts of stop and go, the Andros PS1 doesn’t maximize any one parameter at the sake of another and that is its magic.

Selfishly, the only change I’d make to this phonostage if I ran the show would be to move the MM/MC switch to the front panel, but I’m guessing the rear panel placement is due to signal path optimization.  Only a minor nit to pick.

This one is the teachers pet in the under $5,000 category.  Very enthusiastically suggested.

-Jeff Dorgay

The Zesto Andros PS1 Phonostage

MSRP:  $4,300

www.zestoaudio.com

Peripherals

Preamplifier              Robert Koda K-10

Power Amplifier        Pass Labs XA200.5 monoblocks

Speakers                    GamuT S9

Turntables                 AVID Volvere SP, AMG V-12, Thorens TD-124  (arms and cartridges per article)

Cable                          Cardas Clear

Power                          Running Springs Dmitri and Maxim PLCs

Accessories                 SRA Scuttle rack, Furutech D-Stat, Furutech DeMag, Audio Desk Systeme RCM, MoFi sleeves, GIK Room Treatments

Whether talking about cars, beer, or sneakers, off-the-beaten-path solutions aren’t necessarily for everyone, no matter how cool they might seem. But this one is rather intriguing.

Ortofon’s SPU moving-coil phono cartridge came to life in 1959, designed by Robert Gundmansen (a 50-year veteran of the Ortofon company) as one of the first stereo phono cartridges. SPU stands for “Stereo Phono Pickup.” The model was also one of the first moving-coil cartridges, and originally intended as a broadcast pickup.

The cartridge’s seductive sound quickly made its way to the era’s audiophiles, and represented a perfect fit for SME and other tonearms utilizing a universal headshell-mounting system. The somewhat low-compliance SPU is heavy (30 grams) and includes an integral headshell comprised of Bakelite.

Eight variations on the design currently exist, and three are mono versions. Most share the conical stylus design of the original SPU, but the $999 model reviewed here is the Classic GM E Mk. II, the only entry in the lineup featuring an elliptical stylus profile. It tracks at a fairly heavy 3.5-5 grams. Load to taste somewhere between 100 and 500 ohms, and keep in mind this vintage beauty only puts out .2mv. Hence, those with 58db phonostages will not be able to make optimum use of the cartridge.

Pick a ‘Table

If you’re thinking this cartridge would combine fabulously with a Technics 1200, you’re partially correct. However, the SPU’s luscious sound is not the best fit for the dark sound produced by the stock SL1200. Swapping the stock arm for an SME 3009 (akin to the one we’ve had rebuilt and rewired by SMEtonearms.com) is the cat’s meow: The arm provides the subtlety required to extract maximum performance from the SPU.

While publisher Jeff Dorgay uses the SPU with a similar SME arm and AVID Volvere SP turntable, Stereophile columnist Art Dudley actually inspired my obsession. His love for many things vintage and tubey parallels my own, and getting more in touch with the sonic essence of the music made for a great recon mission. The SPU grabbed me at first listen; this is indeed a special sound.

Installed in my SL 1200/SME 3009 ‘table, the integral headshell eliminates most of the set-up anxiety, as only azimuth and tracking force need to be set. The best balance of tracking and high-frequency response occurs at 4.1 grams.

When the Shoe Fits

This cartridge will not be for everyone and every record, and unless you live on a steady diet of music from the 50s to the mid-70s, forget about employing it as a solitary cartridge. But that’s what makes the 3009 so enjoyable; cartridge swaps are easy.

The SPU claims a likeable warmth and unmistakable tonality. If you’re on a quest for tonal accuracy, pass, but if it is character you desire, you’ve come to the right place. The cartridge is the antithesis of the current A90, a fantastic performer, for certain, but then again, musical soul isn’t always about high resolution. Think of the music played on many of today’s best MC cartridges as a picture shot with the latest Leica M9 with a badass 50mm Summilux aspherical lens. Music played on the SPU is the same photo taken with a Leica M3 and similarly vintage 50mm lens and Kodachrome.

Do you prefer a crystal clear image with perfect fidelity, or do those tiny color fringes add romance and character? If you fall in the latter camp, the SPU will entice you. The SPU is all about major tonality. Set the conical stylus down on a Jimi Hendrix album and prepare to be blown out of your chair, Maxell style. Hendrix’s guitar oozes so much soul, you can almost feel the grille cloth on his early Marshall cabinets flap. As it is with John Bonham’s bass drum on the first two Led Zeppelin albums; it’s more than just about adding weight to the presentation. The SPU provides a distinctive level of tonal saturation.

The key to successfully enjoying the SPU stems from playing favorite records that have a slightly compressed tonal range. Then, let the SPU do the work. Even some of today’s pressings prove a perfect match for the SPU. If the LP sounds a little flat on your standard cartridge, there’s an excellent chance it will come to life on the SPU. And if that sounds a little like a tone control, so be it.

Both Sides Now

Remember, what the analog gods give, they also take away. Recordings with a ton of dynamic range come off sounding slightly lifeless. Music Matters’ Blue Note pressings, which blast out of the speakers, are more subdued with the SPU, where the older originals really shine. It’s exactly the opposite with a modern, high-performance MC cartridge; vintage discs are less exciting, yet the Music Matters discs explode.

While the SPU’s lower register is a bit under-damped (which can be awesome in the right system), the high-frequency side is smooth and extended. And if you guessed that the elliptical stylus makes for a great tracker, you are correct, even the idea of a little piece of diamond undulating through the groove walls at 4 grams is a bit unnerving.

Mids are where the music is at, and it’s here where the SPU excels. Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young’s classic Deja Vu offers great harmonies, and the SPU clarifies their individual voices with gusto. Play to the SPU’s strengths and you might get spoiled for anything else.

Much like a pair of Quad 57s, the SPU does its thing with panache and might be better at painting a warm, musical, soulful picture of your records in a manner no other cartridge can. I’m now anxious to investigate other SPU models to see what they offer.

MSRP: $999

Manufacturer:  www.ortofon.com

Purchase here at Needle Doctor:

It’s easy to get jaded and confused about today’s analog options. Still, if you have big bucks, the choice is practically made for you given that nearly all of the extremely costly phono cartridges are either low- or medium-output moving coil designs. This also means having to purchase a high-quality phonostage (read: expensive) to extract top performance.

Those with $1,000 budgets face a tougher quandary. Excellent models exist in both the moving coil and moving magnet camps, but the MC requires more to work its magic. Many $1,000-$2,000 preamplifiers feature both MM and MC operation, yet all make sacrifices to accommodate the high gain and variable loading of MC cartridges. Ultimately, something suffers.

The $1,999 Audion Premier phonostage is strictly for MM cartridges. It’s built on a small chassis (think early PrimaLuna ProLogue amps, but smaller) with one set of inputs and outputs optimized for one task—one at which it excels. Lower gain and no switching or jumpers means a simpler circuit, which translates into better sound. If you are a music lover that yearns to reach beyond a basic $500-$1,000 analog front end, but not sell the farm, the Premier warrants consideration.

A peek underneath the chassis reveals a tidy printed circuit board, premium parts, and a well-shielded power transformer. Nothing is overdone on this old-school design. An extremely handy back-panel switch lets you float the ground. Hum is the enemy of low-level phono signals, and it’s not uncommon to still have 60hz enter the picture no matter how careful you are with everything else. This little switch brings you back to absolute silence. I wish more manufacturers would include one.

Let’s Roll—Or Not

The Premier utilizes a pair of ECC88 (6922/6DJ8) tubes. Russian NOS 6H23 tubes are supplied and exhibit excellent all-around performance. On-hand NOS variations on the 6DJ8 prove different but not better in any sense, so I suggest using the Premier with the stock tubes unless you feel inclined to step up to a pair of EAT ECC88s. At $225 apiece, the latter diminishes the Premier’s budget ethos but yields greater transparency and finer detail without sounding harsh or etched.

Optimized for a standard 47k ohm load, with no capacitance spec listed, the Premier works well with all of my MM cartridges, including the Clearadio Maestro Wood, Ortofon 2M Black, and Shure V15mvxr. Because of its easy headshell removal, I extensively utilized the AVID Diva II SP/SME 3009; further listening continued with the AVID Volvere SP/Funk Firm FX•RII combination and my faithful Linn LP-12/Ittok. All provided splendid albeit varied results. I used the Furutech AG-12 tonearm cable on all but the SME 3009.

A Little Warmth Goes a Long Way

Like all tube gear, the Premier sounds best after being powered up for nearly an hour. Yet, even after the first few minutes, it’s three-dimensional quality peeks through. When the clock gets close to the hour mark, a light haze lifts, allowing you to hear further into your records.

This phonostage renders sound in a way that mixes so-called “vintage tube” and “modern tube” sound, all the while adding a bit of tonal warmth you won’t mistake for solid-state. Still, ample low- and high-frequency extension prevents the unit from sounding completely vintage. Overall, it’s an excellent balance. And the modest warmth goes a long way, especially with less-than-heavenly LP pressings.

Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe” from Sonny and Cher’s Greatest Hits tremendously benefits from the extra body on tap. The Linn/Shure/Audion combination proves brilliant with countless 60s and 70s favorites. Then, spinning Classic Records’ remaster of Frank Zappa’s Hot Rats shows off the phonostage’s capabilities with excellent recordings, and may just convert uninitiated listeners to the tube side of the fence.

Having had the opportunity to audition a plethora of $1,000-$2,000 phono preamplifiers, I can unabashedly state that the Premier is one of the most highly competitive models in its class. A few hundred dollars often separates winners from losers, and while all units in the lesser-expensive price bracket lack the resolution, weight, and dynamics delivered by five-figure premium phonostages, the best convey enough enchantment to reward one’s vinyl fanaticism. Along with the $2,300 Parasound JC-3, the Audion belongs at the top of its category. The solid-state Parasound is quieter, with a bit more dynamic range. But the Premier has a more beguiling tonality and midrange bloom that rewards marathon listening sessions.

Regardless of the cartridge with which it’s paired, the Premier adds extra body and sparkle. If you are hell-bent on accuracy, the Premier may not be your idea of perfection. Nonetheless, for the little bit of brilliance sacrificed on my best recordings, the Premier adds palpability to less-than-sonically-spectacular LPs with a remarkable consistency. It’s a trade-off I welcome any day. If I can’t have it all, I prefer things a touch on the warm/romantic/vivid side.

Plenty of Punch

Often, tubes, especially at the lower end of the price scale, conjure thoughts associated with a lack of pace—and warm, gooey sound that has a romantic feel absent any rhythmic drive or snap. The Premier never suffers this problem. A quick spin of Sheep on Drugs’ “Acid Test” from their Greatest Hits possesses the requisite dimensions of altered-reality club music played at discotheque volume levels. Beats hit hard while staying clean and segregated from the piercing synthesizer tracks. Records like this—i.e., those are not audiophile treasures—easily illustrate just how much resolution is available in the grooves. Lesser preamplifiers just let the presentation coagulate, and make the music sound like a big ball of midrange.

A similar small sonic miracle happens with the Shure V15vmxr. While the classic Shure pickup has achieved cult-like status, it’s always left me somewhat cold. I feel that it exhibits too much “just the facts, ma’am” character. Tonally accurate, sure, but rarely involving. Via the Premier, it paints a more three-dimensional picture that has never transpired on anything but state-of-the-art phonostages, all of which are unlikely to be paired with a $300 cartridge.

On the Premier, jazz and vocal tracks are fantastic. In particular, acoustic instruments hang in the air longer than I expect from an MM setup, and the synergy with the LP-12 is nothing less than mind-bogglingly great. More expensive MM cartridges (the Clearaudio and Ortofon) deliver a more transparent, almost modern sound, yet the most enchanting results arrive via the Shure V15 and vintage NOS Ortofon VMS20 Mk.II cartridge. This $100 eBay-procured cartridge, mounted on the AVID Diva II SP/SME 3009 combination, fooled more than one audiophile into thinking they were listening to a much more expensive setup.

While many vinyl enthusiasts equate moving magnet cartridges with entry-level steps, the Audion Premier is a product with which you can happily live and exists as proof that you don’t have to spend five figures to attain lovely analog sound. Mate it with the right cartridge, and you may never get the urge to buy a MC cartridge—it’s that good. But should you be taken with such a desire, Audion makes an MC step-up that needs only to be plugged into the Premier, making the latter fully capable of MC use.

-Jeff Dorgay

Audion Premier MM Phonostage

MSRP: $1,999

Manufacturer Info: www.audion.co.uk
US Distribution: www.trueaudiophile.com

Peripherals

Analog source AVID Diva II SP/SME 309/Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood, Linn LP-12/Ittok LV II/Shure V-15mvxr

Preamplifier Burmester 011

Power Amplifier Burmester 911 mk. 2

Speakers MartinLogan Montis

Cable Cardas Clear speaker and interconnect

Accessories Furutech DeMag, PS Audio P10 power conditioner

Too bad the folks at Rega aren’t in charge of balancing the trade deficit. While a substantial amount of modestly priced hi-fi is now produced in China, Rega continues to make solid designs built by hand by skilled craftspeople in its UK factory. That the company produces a 50wpc integrated amplifier with an excellent phonostage is quite admirable; that the firm does it at this level without going to the Far East is nothing less than incredible. Rega’s main man, Roy Gandy, is fond of saying that Rega likes to build products that offer top performance in their respective class. But this time, Rega hit the ball way out of the park.

Longtime Rega enthusiasts might be surprised that the price of the Brio-R is $300 more than that of the previous model, which has been around for about 12 years. However, the new version offers substantial gains even as it occupies a much smaller footprint. Think of the $895 Rega Brio-R as the Lotus Elise of integrated amplifiers; it’s not quite what you’d expect until you get behind the wheel. And yes, the “R” stands for remote.

Make sure to use both hands when unpacking the Brio-R. The compact box is fairly heavy, weighing in at about 20 pounds. Peaking inside shows that Rega didn’t allow a square millimeter of space to go to waste. The Brio-R features the same enclosure as the Rega DAC we reviewed earlier this year, the shared approach keeping costs low and quality high. No detail is left to chance; the remote-control circuitry is even given its own separate power supply to ensure signal purity. Poking around inside reveals one pair of output transistors per channel, high-quality film caps, and a very short signal path.

Small Yet Strong

Despite its smaller box, the new Brio packs a bigger wallop than its predecessor. And there’s never been a more perfect example of specs not telling the whole story. While the previous Brio 3 is rated at 49 watts per channel and the new model at only 50 watts per channel (73 watts per channel into 4 ohms), Rega claims the new output stage can reasonably drive outputs “as low as 1.7 ohms.”

Indeed, while the last Brio struggled with low-impedance speakers, the Brio-R effortlessly sailed through. Driving a pair of Magnepans usually translates into the kiss of death for most small integrated amplifiers (and a few larger ones, as well), but the Brio-R did a very respectable job of powering the notoriously power-hungry MMGs reviewed in this issue. It’s also worth noting that my Cambridge Audio 740C (rated at 100 watts per channel) was not up to this task. Moreover, the Rega had no problems driving my vintage MartinLogan Aerius. A reasonably priced integrated that can tackle Magnepans and MartinLogans without problem? High marks are in order.

Like the prior Brio, the Brio-R features an onboard MM phonostage, also improved in sound quality and sensitivity. In the past, users that didn’t utilize a Rega phono cartridge complained about a lack of gain in the phonostage, an issue that required serious twisting the volume control to achieve reasonable listening levels. With a sensitivity of 2.1mv, the Brio-R had no troubles reaching full volume at the 12:00 level when outfitted with a Sumiko Blackbird cartridge, which boasts an output of 2.5mv. Thanks to its quietness, I was even able to use a Grado Master1, which has an output of only .5mv (47k loading). Doing so necessitated setting the volume at almost 2:00 for the maximum level, but the Brio-R remained up to the task.

Setup and Controls

The Brio-R will have you listening to music in a jiff. The spartan front panel shares the same design brief as the Rega DAC, with a power button on the left, volume control on the right, and a button that requires a touch to toggle between inputs. The mute control is only accessed via the remote, which also allows for volume level and input switching.  And the Brio-R can only be turned on and off from the front panel.

Around back, five inputs and a fixed level output made for an excellent match with my recently restored Nakamichi 550 cassette deck, which incidentally is almost the same size as the Brio-R. For the tapeheads, the output has a level of 210mv.

The only caveat? Input one is the phono input and not marked as such. Plugging in a line-level source here will cause a hateful noise at best and blown tweeter at worst, so proceed with caution. If you’re not a vinyl enthusiast, get a pair of Cardas RCA caps, if for no other reason than to prevent a mishap. Rega turntables do not have ground wires. But if you’re using a ‘table that has one, the ground screw is underneath the amplifier’s rear face.

The Brio-R uses a standard IEC AC socket, so those that enjoy swapping power cords can geek out all they want. However, the RCA jacks and speaker binding posts are so close together that some cables will not be compatible. And while the average consumer that purchases a Brio-R may not step too far into the world of premium cables, the amplifier is good enough to warrant doing so. Given the restricted space, speaker cables with spades are almost out of the question; grab bananas or banana adaptors.

Sounds Like Separates

Resolution often sets separate components apart from integrated amplifiers. The Brio-R has an overall clarity that I have never experienced at this price—and I’ve heard my share of much more expensive pieces that struggle to sound this good. After all, only a handful of sub-$3k amplifiers provide true high-end sound; the Brio-R belongs at the top of that short list. It truly sounds like separate components.

At the beginning of John Mellencamp’s “Sweet Evening Breeze” from Human Wheels, a Hammond organ faintly enters from the far back of the soundstage, barely registering a whisper. Other inexpensive integrateds I’ve sampled (except for the PrimaLuna ProLogue1) don’t resolve this. Or, what does come through is flat and on the same plane as the rest of the music—a blurry rendition. Oingo Boingo’s “Nothing Bad Ever Happens” from Good For Your Soul has similar textures, with multiple layers of guitars and keyboards that, via substandard gear, blend together and smear. By yielding genuine dimensionality, the Brio-R is a budget component that you can listen to for hours on end, fully engaged in the presentation.

The amp claims a fair share of headroom as well. Whether listening to KISS, with or without a symphony orchestra, the Rega didn’t run out of steam until played at very high volumes. Switching to the 99db sensitivity Klipsch Heresy IIIs (also reviewed this issue) resulted in a completely different situation. This combination achieved near rave-level SPLs with Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral. The opening drumbeats to “Big Man With a Gun” were big and powerful, yet the little Rega didn’t seem to break a sweat.

Your favorite speaker with a sensitivity rating of between 87–91db should prove a more than acceptable match for the Brio-R’s power amplifier section.

Vinyl Adventure

The phonostage in the Brio-R should prove a perfect match for anything in the $100-$600 range and when used with the Rega RP1 and its Performance Pack, an upgrade that includes the Bias 2 MM cartridge. The latter features a tonal balance slightly tipped toward the warm side of neutral, helping less-than-stellar LP pressings sound their best.

For example, a friend that brought over budget treasures purchased for fewer than $3/each couldn’t believe the performance wrought by the RP1/Brio-R combination. Again, the Brio-R’s phonostage offers excellent resolution and a very smooth upper register. And while the RP1/Bias combination turned in a great show, switching to the P3-24 and Blackbird offered a substantial helping of “what the analog fuss is all about.”

Good Things Do Come in Small Packages

The Rega Brio-R sets the benchmark for an $1000 integrated amplifier and then some.  While it’s easy for those that regularly hear the world’s best (and often most expensive) gear to get excited about great sound, it’s truly thrilling to hear this level of sound quality from an amplifier with an $895 price tag. Music lovers on a budget no longer have to sacrifice quality. This one could make a crazed audiophile out of you where you least expect it.

-Jeff Dorgay

The Rega Brio-R

MSRP:  $895
Manufacturer Information:

www.soundorg.com (US)

www.rega.co.uk (UK)

Peripherals

Digital source                        Simaudio 750D, Cambridge 650BD

Analog source                        Rega RP1 w/Bias 2, Rega P3-24 w/Sumiko Blackbird

Speakers            Magnepan MMG, Klipsch Heresy III, Vienna Acoustics Hayden Grand, Spica TC 50

Cable                                    Audioquest  Columbia

Power                                    IsoTek EVO3 Sirius

Features

Quincy Jones: Leave Some Space for God
By Ben Fong-Torres

Old School: We Revisit the Audio Research SP3
By Marc Phillips

Budget Gear: Cambridge Audio’s DAC Magic
By Jeff Dorgay

The Vinyl Anachronist: Singing the Orofon Blues
By Marc Phillips

Tone Style

SIHH Watch fair
Ken Kessler Goes Watch Shopping in Switzerland

Canon EOS 5D Mk. II
The Sequel is Better

Elac’s Magic Cube
Pop Art Subwoofer for Your Desktop Stereo System

Magna Cart
Just Go Buy One!

The Meridian i80
iPod Dock for Your F80 Table Radio

Dual Level Pro
Level Application for Your iPhone

MartinLogan Purity
MartinLogan’s Compact Powered Floorstanders

The Adidas Adizero Adios
The Most Excellent Yellow Shoes You Will Ever Own

Primare DVD-i 10
An All-In-One 2.1 Media System

Rega’s Lime Green P3-24 Turntable
And it Comes in Seven Other Awesome Colors, Too!

Music

Live Music: Fountains of Wayne, Cross Canadian Ragweed
and Supreme Beings of Leisure
By The TONE Staff

A Chat With Jon Auer:
Former Posies Guitarist Tells Us About His New Album and
His Approach to Songwriting
By Marc Phillips

The Return of Wild Man Fischer:
Stop Paying Big Bucks on eBay!
By Jeff Dorgay

Current Releases:
Fresh Releases in the Worlds of Pop, Rock and Jazz
By The TONE Staff

Audiophile Recordings:
Foghat, Crosby Stills and Nash, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes,
Stevie Wonder, Frank Zappa and Four SACD Blue Note Releases

Gear Reviews

Mighty Mite
The New Compact BPS Phono Preamplifier From Nagra
By Jeff Dorgay

Magnepan’s 1.6
A Panel Favorite
By Jeff Dorgay

The NAT Plasma R Preamplifier
Big Sound, Great Price
By Jeff Dorgay

The New HP Touch Smart Computer
Don’t Let it Fool You, It’s a Killer Music Server
By The TONE Staff

WLM LaScala Monitors
Understated Beauties
By Marc Phillips

Conrad Johnson’s New Sweet Spot
The New Classic Preamplifier and LP66 Power Amplifier
By Marc Phillips and Jeff Dorgay

Product Update:  Rega Elicit
We Test the New Internal MC Phono Stage
By Jeff Dorgay

Grado’s New Master 1 Phono Cartridge
Moving Iron Excellence
By Jeff Dorgay

The DeVore Gibbon Nines
They’re One Larger
By Marc Phillips and Jeff Dorgay

Headphone Planet
Rocking Out With the New Grado SR-60 “i” Phones
by Jerold O’ Brien

Slummin’

We Score a Vintage McIntosh Tuner, Cheap!