My AMR is for the Ortofon MC Anna, the Luxman is for the ART 1000, Ana Mighty Sound 103.3 and Myajima Zero. The Phonos is for the London Reference. Sometimes I mix it up with the Anna sticking strictly to the AMR.
I’m planning to add the new Ana Mighty Sound Sculpture A, A .4 Silver (5.3 ohm) cartridge to the stable.
Sold my Technics SL-1200 GAE after two wonderful years. Purchased a one owner Garrard 401 to live alongside my Artisan Fidelity one-off custom 4 arm NGS. The 401 is going to Artisan Fidelity as well. |
Tasos1:
I attempted to inform some people about this unit earlier in 2018. It’s one of the finest I’ve ever heard. I was looking at one of the ARC phono stages ($14k) and I saw this unit. Listened to them in the same system and to my ears the SPL slapped the caps out off the ARC. I now have an AMR PH 77, Luxman EQ 500 and SPL Phonos.
I recently auditioned for the second time the DS Audio optical cartridge system, the one second to the Master 1. Based on some reviewers gushing over this system I was reconsidering the Master 1. I’ve compared its speed and dynamics to the London Reference. I have a London Ref and use it with the Phonos. I have never heard anything do a drum kit like that combination and I mean nothing. The DS Audio doesn’t approach the SPL Phonos in my opinion. I found the original DS Audio extremely phasey as it relates to noise artifacts. The newer version is better but still phasey with noise and surface artifacts, not the music. It’s almost as though they’ve incorporated some type of (non advertised) noise cancellation circuit and it’s filtering for a select b.w. but some funky phase anomaly is present. I also think it sounds extremely bland, like the equivalent of unseasoned food.
All that to say the Phonos smoked it along with smoking the ARC, a Pass Lab XP25 and others.
I’m not given to hyperbole, but in this case the word “smoked” is apropos. Its one of the best I’ve heard.
I did change the fuse to the AMR MKII Gold. I’m about to add one of my Audio Magic Ultimate Bees Wax fuses which are simply the best fuses I’ve ever experienced. If your device uses more than one fuse, I’ve found that one of the bee wax fuses is enough, it will overpower the sound. I use one bee wax fuse and the others are replaced with AMR fuses. |
Lewm:
If you can’t hear the difference a better circuit conduit makes while carrying the entire electrical signal then by all means keep the stock fuse. I also believe interconnects and power cords that carry electrical power make a difference, a HUGE difference.
If you are interested in UL ratings and know what they are, then I know you are savvy enough to do your own research, if you’re really interested.
Im not interested in debating that issue. I’ve shared what I’ve found to make the Phonos even better, by quite a margin.
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Tasos1:
You’re welcome, if if I recall it is 1A for 120v. |
Tasos1:
You will notice quite a tick up in performance with better fuses in the path, it uses two. I would start out with two AMR fuses as they are inexpensive (and the second best I’ve heard). I had the Synergistic Blues but found them a bit hyped and hifi sounding. If you perceive the difference and like what the AMR fuses bring to the table, you may then want to eventually add one of the Bee wax fuses. If you like the stock fuses all the better :) no need to purchase the bee wax fuses which are not cheap, making them is a very labor intensive manual process. |
Tasos1:
Just took a look at the back of the Phonos to be sure of the fuse rating. It is a T 1A L250V for a 115v environment. A 230v spec’d Phonos would of course see the fuse current rating drop by half.
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I still love it a year later and stand by every single word I stated regarding its performance :) |
counterreset:
Hi, I don’t know your listening preference or your gear but I will be looking forward to your thoughts on the stage. Hope you enjoy. |
Lewm:
Hi, in retrospect and after rereading my response, I find that I was unduly curt in my response, for that I apologize.
Now to your points :) in fact the fuse in this case absolutely does carry the entire electrical signal as it is in “direct” series with the power line into the unit. This is not a case of a fuse somewhere upstream of the transformer/diodes/filters (pi filters, etc). Remove the fuse, and no power is delivered to any part of the device, i.e. open circuit.
Remeber that the audio signal is nothing more than modulated DC, which was derived from the rectification of the transformer AC output. This is why a fuse does actually have a sound. Everything matters in a highly resolving system.
Now as to why it sounds so good. I believe part of it comes from the 120v rail design used by SPL and the proprietary discreet opAmp technology. The other part is most likely due to the Douglas Self styled RIAA filtration. I am a big proponent of Douglas Self and regularly refer to his book The Design of Active Crossovers (ISBN-13: 978-1138733039).
I am not saying this is the best phono stage I’ve ever heard but it is among them. Does it bloom like my Luxman EQ500? No, but the dynamics! The timing and clarity are just simply top notch.
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Lewm:
We are cool :)
When I used the word signal, perhaps not the best choice, I was referring to the 60hz sinusoidal from the wall.
I understand your point to a degree. Think of it like an auto engines fuel line. All the processing is done in the engine but if I have an inferior fuel line it will directly affect my engines performance. The fuse is a DIRECT corollary to the fuel line. Just like inferior metals (elementally contaminated copper for example) in a power cord will affect the sound, the wire and in fact the material of the end caps of a fuse and its resonance properties will affect the sound. It is the same reason that different power cords absolutely have an effect on my PS Audio Power Regenerators.
The Quantum argument is marketing crap and we certainly are not dealing with quarter wavelength theory or the like.
The entire power source first must go through the fuse, the choke-point. Remove the fuse, no power...
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counterreset:
Did you ever form an opinion about the Phonos? If so, I’d like to know you thoughts regarding its sound. |
Anamighty Sound Sculpture a.4 and Anna Diamond are finally in the house :) neither is run-in so hang in there while I put them through their paces. I will state that the Anna Diamond is the REAL deal and does not appear to be a tarted up Anna, it is an information retrieval monster. Out of the box the Diamond sounds closer to my R2R than ANY cartridge I have ever heard. My original Anna sounded decent out of the box as well, unlike other cartridges I’ve used such as the Audio Technica ART 1000, a beautiful and awesome sounding device (but only after about 40-50 hours). The a.4 is a work of art but was really tight right off the bat, i.e. it displayed a great deal of information and a wide sweeping soundstage but it was too relaxed, almost lazy sounding. After about an hour on a locked white noise track the a.4 loosened up considerably but I can hear that she will need more run in to get the suspension compliant.
Over the next week I shall be performing a great deal of break in and comparisons between the Anna, Anna Diamond and the a.4 using the AMR PH 77 and the Luxman EQ 500 on my Garrard 401 with the Artisan Fidelity Reference platter and bearing set. The SP10 MK 3 NGS is still being turned into something very very unique and heavy :)
I’ll let you all know what I hear.
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