There is also a pair of XLR’s, but this is not a fully balanced device, so there is no major advantage to using the balanced outputs. The rear panel has a pair of RCA inputs and one pair of RCA outputs, along with a grounding post. The VPS is easy to integrate into your system. The review sample came with MC and MM cards installed, a perfect combination for my reference Raven Two table with its Dynavector XV-1s and the Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood, both mounted on SME tonearms. An additional MC card is $1495, while a MM card is only $395. You can purchase the base VPS configuration for $5995 with one MC input. I have too many turntables to live with a single input phono preamplifier. Yes, the VPS has two inputs folks, and that what catapults it straight to the top of my list. It merely has a standard Nagra rotary switch with three positions A, B and mute. The VPS has a small enclosure similar to the PL-L linestage (and identical in footprint), without the big meter on the front. It is a perfect match for Nagra’s PSA and PMA amplifiers. From the minute the VPS was powered up, it was obvious that it had an extremely similar tonal character to that of the PL-L. The PSA power amplifier leans slightly towards the analytical side of solid state/neutral, while the PL-L linestage we auditioned has just the slightest bit of “tubeyness” that gives it a tonal richness that won’t be mistaken for solid state, yet is not overly romantic or colored.
The goal is always to get that extra bit of bloom tubes seem to provide, yet without the inconvenience that often comes with tubes.įor those of you not familiar with the sound (or lack of it) of Nagra gear, it is some of the most neutral equipment I’ve experienced. One of the biggest questions is always to go with tubes or solid state? I often agonize over this, and the ultimate tonality that the VPS possesses sways me back on the valve side of the fence. Even as you approach the pinnacle, you still must choose wisely and as always, define just what you are looking for, keeping system synergy at the forefront. While you might be overloaded with phonostage choices at the entry level, finding one at the top of the heap is still a fairly narrow path.
0 kommentar(er)
