SPL Phonos Phono Preamp


Let me put this very succinctly - I'm blown away by the SPL Phonos phono preamp.  I've been playing around with several phono preamps the past few months to find one that's a great fit for my system.  I have an AMG Giro turntable with a Koetsu Rosewood (standard) cartridge.  My amp is a Gryphon Diablo 120 feeding Clearwave Symphonia loudspeakers.

SPL is a German brand active in the pro audio community.  I never heard of this brand until looking up some reviews/surveys on phono preamps, where the SPL phono preamp received several accolades.  I was able to buy one  from Vintage King Audio, and there was a 30 day return policy in case I didn't like it.

The SPL is a medium-sized unit - larger for instance than the small Rega, Simaudio Moon or iFi phono preamps, but smaller than many others that are the size of your average CD player or line stage preamp.  The SPL has switchable gain, 3 different capacitance choices for MM cartridges and 6 impedance choices for MC cartridges, including 220 ohms which I chose for my Koetsu.  There is also a useful subsonic switch that provides cutoff of frequencies below 20Hz, helpful in reducing rumble.  It's available in red, silver and black finishes.  I think the main sonic feature of the SPL is the use of what is called the Voltair circuit - a higher than usual voltage circuit.

This phono preamp created the most dynamic sound I've heard from vinyl.  The bass is very present and powerful, and provides a great foundation for the music.  There is an abundance of clarity and detail, but not in a manner that screams "transparency".  Rather, this preamp is very balanced and smooth, and nothing sounds exaggerated or out of place.  There is plenty of space between instruments, and the sound never becomes congested - something I absolutely do not like.

The real bottom line is that I'm having a blast listening to vinyl in my system.  It's hard to stop listening to records at night, and that's a great sign that the sound is serving the music well.

I suggest looking at the SPL if you're in the market for a $2k to $3k phono preamp.  Obviously, I've not heard all the phono preamps in this range, but I've heard 3 others (and even one other that was $4k), and the SPL was the best choice for my system and listening preferences.  It's certainly worth a close look.


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Managed to find one used for a $1250. Looking forward to giving it a listen. Kind of stumbled upon this and a few other threads reviewing it favorably after getting pushed into needing a separate phono due to buying a faulty Ambrosia 2000 (non-SE) that I had to return.
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.
I just listened to this amp at the Singapore AV show and thought it really kicks ass man. Managed to get the exhibitor to play a Metallica 12" single. Rockers will love this phono amp! 
audiofun, Back in January of this year, you responded to my question about the fuse upgrade by this statement: "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."  First, while I am always a sceptic of any tweak that has no science behind it, only subjective impressions, I do concede that some such tweaks sometimes do leave me with a favorable opinion.  And I am a believer in power cords, although my thoughts there are that current-carrying capacity (should be in excess of the current demanded) and characteristic impedance (should be as low as possible and depends upon topology of the conductors in the cord) are what's needed, regardless of cost.  So, I am not dead set against or for anything. 


Second, the fuse does not by any means carry the "entire electrical signal".  A fuse must pass the voltage (120V in the US) and the current to the power transformer, so IT can do the job of delivering unrectified AC of a specified AC voltage to the rectifiers/inductors/capacitors that do produce DC from AC.  The DC thus produced provides the "ride" for the AC signal voltage output.  So a fuse is very far away from that vital pathway.  I went to the website and read the specs for the SPL.  It might be wonderful sounding, but there is nothing in its specifications that gives any hint as to why that would be so.  The description of the power supply suggests it's fairly pedestrian.  But by no means do I pass judgement on the quality of the end result; it may be as excellent as you say.
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.