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Clearaudio Absolute Phono Inside phono stage

Clearaudio Absolute Phono Inside phono stage

People have been coming up with new ways to build a better record player for over a century, so somebody must have thought of it before. But only now has the technology advanced sufficiently that a company managed to put a phono stage inside a headshell. Clearaudio did just that last year with the Absolute Phono; it results in a slightly thicker headshell than most, but it provides the first stage of gain with the bare minimum of connecting cable between it and the cartridge coils. This avoids exposing the miniscule output voltage of a moving coil cartridge to radio frequency pollution and should mean that noise is significantly lowered as a result.

What appears to have given this idea a boost is that unlike the majority of phono stages that use voltage amplification, it is also possible to use current amplification. Clearaudio is not the first to put such an approach into practice, but they did manage to build current amplification into a phono stage that is partly in the headshell with the rest in a separate case. All of which is fine if you want a Clearaudio tonearm but it has limited potential if you prefer something else. This has spawned the Absolute Phono Inside, a stage that uses the same current amplification technology in a box that can be connected to any tonearm and cartridge.

This claims to “almost match” the 10dB signal to noise advantage claimed for the ‘outside’ version because current amplification obviates the need for cartridge loading and eliminates coupling capacitors in the signal path. The impedance is actually 120 Ohms (for unbalanced), but the current amplification aspect is said to mean that it’s easy for any moving coil to drive. When you consider that many stages have a fixed 100 Ohm impedance that doesn’t seem too bizarre.

The Absolute Phono is a fully-balanced design to keep noise to a minimum and has both balanced and single-ended inputs. On the output side, however, there are only XLR connections. I guess at this price point, balanced input preampliers are not uncommon, except among us pesky British reviewers!

The Absolute Phono Inside is a two-box stage with some rather elaborate boxes. These feature aluminium clamshells that are separated by panzerholz (high density engineering plywood). This arrangement provides a degree of damping without undermining overall rigidity. One box contains a power supply and mains connection, with an on/off switch as well as a dimmer for the blue circular light on the stage itself. The light surrounds an on/off switch that flashes to indicate on, off, and mute states. Fit and finish are to a very high standard and the RCA sockets in particular are very high quality. In fact, it’s a lovely box, as is the power supply.

While it’s beautifully executed, the price seems high for the size of the components. The Inside contains some high quality parts in Vishay Dale resistors and Clearaudio Silver Glimmer capacitors, but one suspects that you are paying for the time spent in R&D as much as anything else.

 

Having only balanced outputs meant I had to use a Gamut D3i preamplifier that was fortuitously in for review rather than my usual Townshend Allegri; this is no hardship, but it does make things more sonically lively. Down to earth Gotham balanced cables go some way to redressing the balance, and the end result was not that far from the calm, neutral presentation that I find best for assessment purposes. I started off with a Rega Apheta cartridge (which prefers a 100 Ohm load) aboard a Rega RP10 turntable. This worked extremely well, the Absolute Phono Inside revealing an extremely spacious soundstage populated with solid, 3D notes on Mop Mop’s percussive Isle of Magic [Agogo Records]. The amount of detail that comes out of this is quite remarkable; you can almost hear the layers of the multitrack. This does not get in the way of the music, but rather the realism it brings enhances it. I also very much like the way that it’s tonally rich: some phono stages do detail in a slightly dry, pale fashion that doesn’t serve the timbre of instruments as well as it might. This Clearaudio is not one of them.

, Clearaudio Absolute Phono Inside phono stage

Mike Valentine’s D2D recording of Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons’ [Interpreti Veneziani, Chasing The Dragon] also turns out to have more ‘air’ on it, more of the room it was so enthusiastically made in, and as it was made with original instruments, it is overflowing with tonal riches. The two violins in ‘Spring’ have stunning presence and vivacity that really brings the piece to life in front of you. With an older recording of a newer tune, the Grateful Dead’s Songs for Allah [Audio Fidelity], the focus is very much on what the songs are about, that and the quality of playing from musicians at the height of their technical powers. Again, we get richly rendered notes from picked guitars and beautiful harmonies from Jerry Garcia and his men. This stage is extremely revealing and very low on character, it lets you relax, listen, and enjoy to the extent that nothing else matters except the quality of the song. But it also makes you very picky about the actual songs you play.

I decided to switch cartridges from the original to the new Apheta (2) as it was waiting patiently to strut its stuff. This has lower moving mass and higher output (albeit only 15% higher). It is, however, considerably more refined and revealing, again with a cleaner, warmer, and quieter presentation that lets you hear more music and less mechanics. This means higher SPLs without discomfort and better clarified low level information such as reverb characteristics and precise instrument identification in complex mixes. The Clearaudio makes all this perfectly, well, clear. I have in the past found this company’s products to be on the bright side, but generally that was a function of acrylic platters, and the Absolute Phono Inside seems to be totally neutral and transparent to the source. If that source is of high calibre then the music you hear is going to be of the same standard, compelling in fact.

It also does bass rather effectively, Burnt Friedmann and Jaki Leibzeit’s Just Landed [Nonplace] is my go-to low end vinyl slab, and this was presented with great spatial resolve and precise timing. It can often get bogged down in the heavy bass line, but with this source and phono stage one’s attention is drawn to the melodic aspects. The bass is there, but kept under control so that it doesn’t smear the higher notes.

To see how the Absolute Phono Inside would deal with a different MC I brought in the big gun, an SME Model 20/3A with a Van den Hul Condor XCM/SPED. The optimum load impedance for this is 200 Ohms, yet it sounded spot on with the full range of dynamics and bandwidth. This record player brought authority and precision to the proceedings, delivering the vibrant tones of the Marty Paich Big Band’s The New York Scene [Discovery]. Here Jimmy Guiffre’s clarinet is sweet on ‘I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face’, but Art Pepper’s alto sax is not far behind in the beguiling stakes. It’s a beautiful sound that no amount of words could make more lyrical. In truth, I usually find the softer standards a bit saccharin for my tastes, but when you make the window this clean it’s possible, even easy, to appreciate the genuine nature of the sentiment. Having such great musicians does no harm either.

 

A more familiar disc in the form of Conjure’s Music For The Texts Of Ishmael Reed [American Clavé] exemplifies the Clearaudio’s remarkable ability to pull detail out of well worn tracks. It’s the cymbal work that makes its presence felt for almost the first time here: highs with genuine shape and solidity are rare even with analogue front ends of this calibre, so it’s a treat to ‘see’ them so clearly in an image that has remarkable height and depth. The track ‘Jes Grew’ is thick with percussion of the ‘hand on drum’ variety, so the bass line is sometimes lost or at least goes to ground under the acoustic camouflage they create: not here – now it’s possible to appreciate just how sinuous a line Steve Swallow creates.

, Clearaudio Absolute Phono Inside phono stage

The Clearaudio Absolute Phono Inside is probably the most compact phono stage in its class, but it proves that small is beautiful when it comes to revealing sonic character and musicianship. There are very few more affordable phono stages that approach it for sheer transparency, and I have to say it makes the notion of the headshell mounted version very enticing. For anyone who already has a decent record player, it might be time to go Inside for a long while.

Technical Specifications

Type: Two-piece, solid-state, MC phono stage

Phono inputs: One pair single-ended (via RCA jacks), one pair balanced (via XLR connectors).

Analogue outputs: One pair balanced (via XLR connectors).

Input Sensitivity: not specified.

Input impedance: 2–100 Ohms.

Input capacitance: not specified.

Output impedance: 64 Ohms (balanced).

Output level: not specified.

RIAA linearity: deviation less than 0.1dB.

Distortion: not specified.

Signal to Noise Ratio: 90dB (A-weighted).

Dimensions (H×W×D):

Phono stage preamp: 56 × 240 × 145mm

Power supply unit (PSU): 56 × 240 × 145mm

Weight: 6.45kg

Price: £8,995

Manufacturer: Clearaudio

URL: clearaudio.de

UK Distributor: Sound Fowndations

Tel: +44-01189 814238

URL: www.soundfowndations.co.uk

Tags: FEATURED

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