Subsonic filter phono stage12/19/2023 ![]() ![]() Completing the system are a Hegel H120 (HFC 460) integrated amp and Dynaudio Evoke 30 floorstanding speaker (HFC 460). At the opposite end of the gain scale, Ortofon’s popular 2M Red moving-magnet cartridge gets an outing in Elipson’s Omega 100 Carbon Black turntable. First up is Rega’s Planar 6 (HFC 453) fitted with the company’s entry-level, low-output moving-coil Ania cartridge (HFC 452). I line up a couple of turntables to try with the R15. In the middle of the panel is the RCA analogue output and, to the right of that, toggle switches for the subsonic filter, MC/MM mode and gain settings and, finally, the mini-jack service and trigger ports. Starting on the left, the grounding post is conveniently close to the RCA analogue input (not the case with some previous Primare phono stages) and, either side of the analogue input, are the banks of inevitably fiddly dip switches for configuring MC or MM impedance and capacitance settings. Set-up controls and switches are on the back plate and, given the available space, they’re well spread out. The weighty robustness of the heavy steel casing inspires bags of confidence, too. There’s also a subsonic filter, which could be useful in attenuating sub-bass LP warp frequencies and taming excessive bass driver cone excursions, particularly with reflex-loaded loudspeakers. Up to 65dB of gain is quoted for the moving-coil section (45dB for MM), while a four-layer circuit board shortens signal paths in pursuit of lower distortion. There are six impedance and two capacitance settings for moving-coil cartridges while moving-magnet types get two impedance and four capacitance settings. ![]() On the input side, a low-noise MOSFET is used in conjunction with a ‘hybrid equalisation system’ that teams an active circuit for low frequencies with passive circuitry for high-frequency EQ. The R15 uses a linear low-noise discrete supply fed by a custom-made, mu-metal shielded toroidal transformer, the reason cited being you can have a more controlled magnetic field with a toroidal transformer by simply turning it so that the least amount of noise infiltrates into the circuit from the power supply. Getting this right, Primare contends, has a lot to do with the design of the power supply. Like that unit, its high-gain setting can accommodate the lowest of low output moving-coil cartridges and, as with all serious phono stages, aims to do so with the minimum of noise. It’s hardly a surprise that the R15 takes many of its design cues from the more sophisticated R35. Whatever the permutation, you’ll be buying into Primare’s minimalist aesthetic and intention to deliver the sonic goods without artifice or affectation. It’s an easy shoo in for aesthetic harmony if you already own an I15 integrated or, come to that, the company’s full-width I25 (HFC 459) or I35 (though, if you can run to it, Primare’s flagship R35 phono stage is a size match for the more expensive amps). Not an item to tuck away out of sight, then, and you probably wouldn’t want to even if you could as Primare’s spare Nordic neatness is the kind of understated design you can’t help looking at. At £900, it’s a price rival for the Huei but very much larger and heavier with casework all but identical to that of the Swedish company’s ‘three-quarter sized’ I15 integrated amplifier. A good example being Chord Electronics’ Huei (HFC 460), a bijou aluminium brick that is clearly a close relation of the company’s Qutest DAC (HFC 436).Īnother is the Primare R15. ![]() But a number are more conspicuously styled, often to match other components from the same manufacturer. Some are dressed in small, nondescript plastic or metal cases perhaps best tucked away at the back of the equipment rack. That potential step change in sound quality is one reason why the market for phono stages is so buoyant with dozens to choose from spread over a broad span of price points. If the love of vinyl runs a few fathoms deeper, however, devoting a fair chunk of your system budget to a dedicated external phono stage – and taking as much care selecting it as you would the deck, amplifier and loudspeaker – is likely to reap significant sonic benefits. Choose your components well and the unseen on-board stages should prove more than adequate, cutting down the box and cable count and delivering a decent enough performance, even if you consider your turntable as more than a token LP spinner. For some, the sooner you get plugged in the better, and that’s understandable. Connect it to a line-level-only amplifier and, once again, music is mere moments away. Life is just as simple if your record player has a phono stage on board. ![]() Before compact disc, nearly all amplifiers had a built-in phono stage. ![]()
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