At the online magazine Future Audiophile you can find a review of our Phono Preamplifier SPL Phonos. The complete review is available online. We have summarized some of the highlights for you here on our blog.
Design:
“The Phonos is very well built, surprisingly heavy relative to its size, and is not break the bank expensive.”
“SPL has managed to find a way to pack a lot of technology into a small enclosure which will also appear very attractive in almost any audiophile system.”
Technology:
“The SPL Phonos has three settings – Norm (Normal), which delivers plus 46dB for MM and plus 67dB for MC, a Minus 10 setting for plus 36dB for MM and plus 57dB for MC and lastly, Plus 4 for plus 50dB for MM and plus 71 for MC.”
“These settings give flexibility to establishing the optimal sonics based on the two most popular cartridge types.”
Sound:
“Lively. Energetic. Highly Dynamic. These are very valid descriptions of what I wrote in my review notes from the first LP I played. I felt the same all the way through to the last LP I played.”
“This phonostage has ample amounts of headroom so it will not suffer unwanted compression. And surprisingly, it tends to kick the door down when it comes to a dynamic presence.”
“There is also sufficient clarity and accuracy.”
“But in all actuality, the SPL truly enriches the sound of an LP, even on much more expensive systems.”
“I enjoyed listening to LPs with the Phonos if for no other reason than the dynamic presence it portrayed.”
“The ability of the SPL Phonos made this drum beat sound quite dynamic and was presented with a definite attack on the drum skin.”
“The synthesizers almost seemed to sound as if they were alive and also were prominently rendered.”
“Most notably was the separation of instruments and the imaging set forth by the SPL Phonos.”
“Despite my LP being nearly 50 years old and having been played countless times, it still sounded, thanks in part to the SPL Phonos phonostage, surprisingly very listenable.”
Conclusion:
“Performance wise, this is a superb sounding phonostage – one, in fact, many analog devotees can easily afford and will enjoy for many years without totally breaking the bank.”
“The SPL Phonos is a product which is almost certain to satisfy a lot of analog fans.”
“The SPL Phonos is one of those good things comes in small packages product. I absolutely enjoyed my time with this phonostage.”
