Vertere Acoustics, a British HiFi brand, has just announced its all-new phono preamplifier. It goes by the name PHONO-1 MKII L. According to the brand’s founder and chief executive, Touraj Moghaddam, the phono preamplifier improves the previous version in multiple factors.
To start with, the new offering from Vertere Acoustics offers improved overall performance. Although the improvement in terms of the sound quality is subtle, it is quite significant.
The MKII, the previous iteration of the phono preamplifier, was already great at offering good sound quality. But the L version takes things to the next level, all thanks to the non-trivial PCB layout upgrades.
So what improvements did the PCB layout get? It has a linear power supply. And that allows the main PCB to get significant optimization for the track and ground plane.
The new design also ensures that the tracks are of equal length and that the widths are adjusted according to the direct current flow. Also, it makes sure that the impedances are lowered.
In addition, the PHONO-1 MKII L comes with the same unusual selection in the grounding switch. It still has the Ground Lift, Hard Ground, and Soft Ground options.
According to Vertere Acoustics, this selection can make it possible to achieve a significantly lower background noise level in certain installations.
Furthermore, Vertere Acoustics PHONO-1 MKII L has user-configurable features for most Moving Coil and Moving Magnet Cartridges available out there.
DIP switches on the bottom of the phono amplifier will offer the users a choice of 15 input impedances. It will also offer nine different capacitance options together with ten different choices of gain.
The all-new ‘L’ shaped high-quality gold-plated PCBs of the primary phono circuit and the main power transformer will ensure optimized grounding and power distribution.
It also has a stainless steel shield, ensuring the audio signal does not face unwanted interference. Those will be kept well away from the signal.
Besides that, the new phono preamplifier from Vertere Acoustics is available in multiple high-end finishes. That includes the new DG-1 design, which features a matching front panel of the Vertere record player. The other finishes include Signature Vertere Orange, Semi-matt black, and Silver aluminum.
To make the MKII L version stand out a little in the front from the regular MKII version, Vertere Acoustics has integrated a different colored LED.
The indicator is now orange in color. Overall, the new version of the phono preamplifier looks like a solid pick as a companion for the record players of Vertere Acoustics.
Slava is a man of mystery and no-one seems to know exactly where he is at any point in time. When he isn't enjoying writing about all things audio and technical he can be found researching his next project of interest. The man never rests.
