AS Phonolab dual phono preamp

[Solypsa]

I've started carrying the AS Phonolab and will be hosting a few listening events in and around the Seattle area. Should anyone want to attend feel free to pm me. Also available for demo in your home anywhere in the USA

I think this is an exciting product:
*Twin phono stages in one box with outboard PS.

*Can be fitted with mc/mc, mc/mm or mm/mm cards.

*Can be ordered with the 'Recompizer', a ganged eq that was carefully designed to help out less than great recordings...

*Balanced xlr and rca outputs standard.

*Balanced inputs optional: lemo with an included xlr adapter.

*Remote controlled volume option for vinyl only rigs!


Plus power supply can power a second unit for a quad stage

base unit well under $5k...including PS

Please lmk if you would like to be a part of a listening party or if you want to try one in your system.

Hope everyone is having a grand analog adventure!

 

[sujay]

Hi, what are the gain options? Do you distribute worldwide?

 

[Solypsa]

Gain is:
MM : 38db, 42db, 45db and 48db
MC :58db, 62db, 65db and 68db

Also *if* you use the balanced xlr out you can choose a higher output reference level ( 775 mV or 1.55 V) which could be a factor in system gain....

Audiospecials sell directly to many markets; I would ask them.

Again i would love to send this to some USA based forum members to try out

 

[Solypsa]

To answer a question: my demo period is usually two weeks on electronics. When i send a cartridge that demo period is usually 30 days since efforts to align and fine tune are involved. All at no obligation to purchase of course.

 

[shakti]

you can ask here for an EU test package:

https://www.audiospecials.de/en/index.html

 

[Solypsa]

Oh and i can setup my demo unit with or without the remote controlled volume in case anyone wants to try it direct to amp...

 

[Solypsa]

A few observations after about 50 hrs of break-in and demo:

Very quiet! Used mostly at 65db gain setting with Shilabe and Benz LPS MR so far (on a demo at a friends house). Not sure what has a lower noise floor but the Audiospecials is outstanding in this respect.

Great headroom and dynamics, complex layers of a recording very easy to discern. Kick drums sound deep and taut. Radiohead anyone? Also really nice on big orchestra. Neutral sounding towards slightly 'dry', maybe a bit less of that luminous tone sustain as compared to really good tube phono's so jazz presents as a bit more rhythmic than swinging if that makes sense...

Still need to play more and assess at 100 hrs.

 

[groovemaster]

Hello Erik,
what I can determin is, that many users of the Phonolab combine this trinket with tube gear. A happy marriage of precision and glamour that keeps you swinging.

I am curious about your 100 HRS impressions.

Regards
groovemaster

 

[Solypsa]

Will report back. Also I have not tried the balanced connections (in or out) yet...

 

[Solypsa]

...I am curious about your 100 HRS impressions.

Regards
groovemaster

Forgot to reply. In my case it seems about 120-150 hours was the pivot point for break-in...much more tonal complexity and 'meat on the bones' now...

 

[groovemaster]

Erik, I ´ve got some information ten days ago from Audiospecials. There is an AS Phonolab Upgrade called Phonolab QUADRIGA. You can connect 4 Tonearms.

The great RECOMPIZER Function on all 4 Inputs and 4 balanced inputs in addition as standard since first of June.




Regards
groovemaster

 

[XV-1]

How would owners of this phono stage describe the sound?

I am looking for a neutral, dynamic and transparent phono stage with multiple inputs..

 

[Solypsa]

You should try one out. If you do, see my previous comment about break in, and get a demo with +150 hours on it for a fair assessment....

 

[XV-1]

You should try one out. If you do, see my previous comment about break in, and get a demo with +150 hours on it for a fair assessment....

Living in Australia will make that difficult.

AS giving u a one week demo is nowhere near enough, unless as you say - they send out a demo unit, which means freight and tax issues if they want it back.

 

[Solypsa]

Email AS and see what can be done. I send my demo unit out for 2 weeks here in the states...

 

[groovemaster]

Living in Australia will make that difficult.

AS giving u a one week demo is nowhere near enough, unless as you say - they send out a demo unit, which means freight and tax issues if they want it back.

As far as I know, Audiospecials.de also offers interested parties abroad the opportunity to try out the AS Phonolab at home for at least 14 days. If you like the device, you can keep it. If not, you will probably only have to pay for the return shipping.
Just ask. I know AS to be very customer-friendly.

 

[XV-1]

I guess the question I have first - Is the AS is the top tier of phono stages or just excellent for its price?

 

[shakti]

the AS is an excellent SS Phono for the price.
To outperform, you need to go in the direction of Boulder 2008, CH Precision P1,
which I compared both to the AS. The difference is audible, but compared to the price of the AS very small.

 

[groovemaster]

At our last community meeting, someone had borrowed the new Nagra Classic Phono (20K USD) from their dealer for a few days of listening. So it made sense to put it up against the Audiospecials Phonolab. In a direct comparison, however, the differences in sound were so extremely small that after listening to the cross-check, none of us was able to tell which phono stage was playing.Both phonos create a fantastic holographic stage. Here is the AS combination with Monophonic -True Mono- on the left side. We have some Jazz Fans with there old original Blue Note goodies in Mono Vinyl. The old Blue Note Records before 1955 need the AES Curve, not RIAA.

Best regardes groovemaster

 

[Diasoft5]

I am also very satisfied with my AS Phonolab. Of course, with my equipment, my first thought was to buy a Vitus Phonopre. But the AS Phonolab is so fantastic that I prefer to use the money saved elsewhere.