Allnic OTL/OCL Phono vs Allnic DHT

Regardless of the design wizardry Allnic employed in the OTL/OCL phonostage, I find it to be noticeably quieter than the DHT — and far easier to live with in terms of maintenance, operation, and day-to-day running. Cartridge loading flexibility is effortless, and the noise floor is effectively nonexistent.

With the older DHT 8000, I often battled microphonics and an occasional quirk where the soundstage would lean subtly to one side. Achieving a rock-solid, dead-centre image could be frustrating, requiring constant fussing with tubes and fine adjustments. The H10,000 OTL series has been the complete opposite: it simply warms up and is ready to make music, no drama, no fiddling.

What really stands out is the leap in performance: transparency, microdetail retrieval, tonal accuracy, soundstage precision, and dynamic range all surpass the DHT 8000 — which I had always regarded as an exceptionally musical phono stage in its own right. The H10,000 series feels several levels higher on the ladder.

Bass is no longer a touch overripe; instead, it extends deeper with greater control. Vocals have gained refinement without losing body and presence, while the highs are sweeter, more polished, and free of any edge — delivering a presentation that’s both revealing and inviting.

For much less money, though I don’t know the current retail price, the Atmasphere MP1 will give you similar results. Two differences: the MP1 does not use a SUT to achieve high phono gain, and the Allnic affords 4 pairs of phono inputs vs one pair on the MP1. Important also, the MP1 is fully balanced with an OCL/OTL linestage built in

@lewm      As Phantom audio is an Atma-sphere dealer, I'm sure he can test your hypothesis for himself. I, for one, would love to hear the unbiased results of such a comparison.

I’ve lived with both the Atma-Sphere MP-1 and MP-3, each with the built-in phono stage, and honestly, they’re both great in their own way. The MP-1 has that beautiful transparency and dynamic punch Atma-Sphere is known for — it really lets the music breathe. But for my own taste, the Allnic just speaks to me more. It’s got this gorgeous tonality, real weight to the notes, and a richness that makes me want to keep listening for hours.

The H-10,000 especially is a joy to live with — super quiet, really flexible, and easy to integrate into my system. The built-in SUT is a nice touch, even if you don’t need it, because it avoids extra cables and the colouration they can bring. Being silver-wired, it’s very open and detailed, but it never sounds thin; it’s still full-bodied and musical.

Just to be clear, I’m only talking about how the Allnic DHT phono compares to the OTL here — I’m not trying to make it an Atma-Sphere vs. Allnic battle.