Vertere Phono-1 Mk II L phono stage

Vertere Acoustics makes a range of turntables, tonearms, cartridges, cables and even a few equipment supports. But only one phono stage. The Phono-1 has undergone some changes during its life (we tested it in Issue 146). This includes the Phono-1 Mk II launched in 2019 and the revised version, Phono-1 Mk II L.

It could be easy for someone to miss this altogether and see it as simply a low-output version. Or, those too fond of 1980s Ford suffixes might expect ‘L’ to be the entry-level. There should be more upmarket ‘GL’, ‘S’ and ‘Ghia’ versions available. But, no. The Vertere Acoustics Phono-1 Mk II L is the one and only phono stage in the current Vertere line. And there aren’t that many physical changes between this and the previous version.

Invisible changes?

From the outside, change is almost invisible. Yes, there’s a new finish to match the DG-1S turntable, alongside the Black and Orange livery. But otherwise, they are the same dimensions. It has the same lone on/off switch with an orange LED showing the status. It even has the same rear panel. And yes, adjusting for moving coil gain, impedance and MM/MC capacitance are all controlled from banks of tiny DIP switches on the underside of the Phono-1 Mk II L.

Instead, Vertere has tidied up the design on the inside. The circuit board layout has been revised to ensure the signal path remains as short and unsullied as possible. As a result, component interaction is kept at a minimum, lowering distortion. There has also been a reworking of the linear power supply. It moves to the main board to deliver more efficient PCB tracks and an improved ground-plane design. Perhaps most importantly, left and right channel signal tracks are now of equal length, with optimal track width throughout.

Earth to Vertere!

A little recap is in order. Alongside the RCA inputs and outputs – and the conventional earth tag – there is a second ‘chassis ground’ earth point. This has a three-position switch to give the listener the choice of a ‘hard ground’, ‘soft ground’ or ‘ground lift’. This runs independent of the usual earth tag on a turntable. However, it allows component-to-component connection and the reduction of hum. Occasionally – and especially with phono stages – there’s a pesky hum loop. It is a chassis earthing problem somewhere in the system, and Vertere makes it go away. You’ll probably never need this in all the vinyl you enjoy. If you are one of the unlucky 1% where this happens, that phono earthing switch is a real boon.

With 15 resistance, 10 gain and nine capacitance settings, the Vertere Acoustics Phono-1 Mk II L phono stage can support most cartridges, but there is also a high-gain version that adds 6.4dB of gain to the 40.2dB-62.2dB options on the standard model. In other words, the Phono-1 Mk II L will handle anything, short of some extraordinarily low gain moving coil designs that always require a step-up transformer… I’m looking at you, Audio Note Io models and your 0.04mV output voltage!

Change for change’s sake?

I had a brief chance to hear the difference between Vertere’s Phono-1 Mk II and Phono-1 Mk II L. Even on brief listening, it’s clear that the new version is a lot better than its predecessor. It’s cleaner and livelier, which is a bit of a feat because the original was already super clean and lively. However, the news is good for original Phono-1 and Phono-1 Mk II owners; it’s not a “take my money!” order of change. If you have the Phono-1 Mk II, you have an excellent phono stage and the improvements the Mk II L bring probably don’t justify the trade-up. Probably.

Perhaps it’s the ability to dial in the cartridge so accurately, but the Vertere Phono-1 Mk II L seems to remove a lot of that mild and laid-back sound intrinsic to many LP replay systems. Set properly, the sound played through this phono stage has a lot of excitement and energy, up into high-frequency regions where vinyl often rolls off. And yet, for all that HF energy on offer, this isn’t a bright or brassy sounding phono stage, it’s just… exciting and energetic, like a puppy.

The nice thing about this is it’s very much a ‘hands off’ sound. There is no sense of needing careful maintenance or curation of record collection; no audiophile pressings required to get the best from this. Just cue up an album you know well, sit back, then quickly sit forward again as you are drawn into the detailed, fast-paced, and exuberant presentation.

Clear and detailed

As described previously, it’s a very clear and detailed sound, and not simply in that top-end. There’s a clarity here, making the Phono-1 Mk II L extremely good at those subtle dynamic contrasts and filigree microdynamic moments that audiophiles crave at one extreme and full-throated roars at the other. It also stands up to scrutiny well; even going up against models in audio’s stratosphere it made an excellent account of itself.

Stepping back from loony comparisons and listening to the Phono-1 Mk II L in a more realistic head-space, the presentation is excellent. One of my EPs I play a lot but don’t regularly mention in print is Calexico’s 98-99 Road Map [Quarterstick]. I don’t call this out regularly because it’s an uneven instrumental-only cut, but with some of the best tracks from their seminal The Black Light album of the same era. On ‘Minas De Cobre’ you can completely understand why this band became the darlings of the Americana scene, and here the Phono-1 Mk II L’s honest presentation helps a lot; it’s ‘dry’ enough sounding not to make this track sound like a bad Spaghetti Western soundtrack, but also rich and detailed and involving enough to make this feel like something on the borders of sounding really special.

Plinky plonky

Perhaps that more than the usual suspects of audiophile pressings of plinky-plonky dinner jazz and beautifully-recorded warbled torch-songs, it’s those less-than-perfect recordings that really shows what makes the Vertere stand apart from its peers. It treats music like music, and not some nicely-organised noise used to show off your equipment. It’s easy to get a good sound out of great recordings but the less than brilliant ones… that takes some vinyl replay smarts. The Phono-1 Mk II L has those smarts.

Having played with a lot of phono stages over the years at all prices, you can usually spot the affordably priced ones because they tend to go for an energetic zingy presentation or something more warm and woolly. There are a few notable exceptions; the ones that draw out the sound of the vinyl replay chain as opposed to make their own turntable story. The Vertere Phono-1 Mk II L is on that short, select list.

However, the Phono-1 Mk II L doesn’t fall into the other great trap of most ‘cut above’ products at the Vertere’s level; the ‘worthy, but dull’ phono stage. Products that go after an uncolored and accurate sound, but end up just sounding uninteresting and uninspiring in the process. The Vertere never does that, always managing to keep that balance between honest, and enjoyable on track.

Light steps into deep bass

The Vertere Phono-1 Mk II L is an outstanding phono stage, both for the money and in absolute terms. But if you really put it to the sword, there are a few points where it begins to show its limitations. Deep bass is always something of an acid test for phono stages. This is because it’s at the extreme end of the capabilities of the whole LP replay chain and even the EQ curve. But it stumbles, never falls. The Vertere Phono-1 Mk II L takes a deliberately slightly lighter step into very deep bass. It makes no emphasis or boosts, but instead gives the sound a slight bounce.

However, what really scores for the Vertere phono stage is its absence of any obvious ‘nasties’ anywhere. The frequency range is accurate and precise, with no edginess, no thickness to the sound, no hard edges (or, by contrast, soft squishiness) and a complete absence of glare and shoutiness. These elements appear (in almost homoeopathic amounts in some cases) in many phono stages, and the Vertere shows what their absence sounds like.

It also has a profound sense of scale to the sound. not simply soundstaging (although it does that well). Instead, it is good enough that a big sound is played large and a small one is played small. It’s surprising how often you hear a 50’ tall set of vocal chords or an orchestra that could fit in a suitcase. From experience, many phono stages mess this scale up, but not Vertere.

One last thing

There’s one last thing. Vertere makes more than just record decks. It makes cables too. There’s something intrinsically right about the Vertere Acoustics Phono-1 Mk II L phono stage. Especially when fed by a good Vertere power cable and using Vertere interconnects throughout. It’s not that the phono stage has been optimised for these cables. And it’s not in some way hobbled by needing a good cable to sound great. It’s just the way they work together is close to pure synergy.

Most Vertere Acoustics Phono-1 Mk II L phono stages will partner Vertere vinyl front ends. This is a shame. Yes, the partnership is a golden one. Still, many other vinyl listeners could benefit from the Phono-1 Mk II L’s honest yet intrinsically enjoyable approach.

However, I used the Phono-1 Mk II L with the Vertere DG-1S/Magneto combination tested in Issue 216. And yes, these two do work beautifully together. But the Phono-1 Mk II L can be used further up the Vertere food chain. To the point where it’s the cheapest part of the whole vinyl signal chain. Other phono stages might give up at this point. It’s just another day at the office for the Vertere Acoustics Phono-1 Mk II L.

Technical specifications

• Type: MC/MM phono stage
• Gain Settings: 10 steps 40.2dB to 62.8dB (High Gain version – Add 6.4dB to all settings)
• Input Impedance Settings Resistance: 15 steps 47kΩ for MM, 78Ω to 47kΩ for MC
• Capacitance: 9 steps 100pF & 470pF for MM, 100pF to 1.02uF for MC
  Frequency Response: 20Hz–20kHz ±0.2dB
• Noise: <-78dB
• THD-N: 0.03%
• Finish: Front Panel Options: Vertere Orange, Silver, Black, DG-1 Gloss Black
• Dimensions (W×H×D)L: 210 × 235 × 55mm
• Weight: 2kg
• Price: £1,350

Manufacturer

Vertere Acoustics

www.vertereacoustics.com

+44(0)203 176 4888

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