German manufacturer Clearaudio has announced a petite new phono stage, Compact Phono, which the company says is “small enough to fit discreetly into virtually any setup”.
The phono stage measures just 2.6 x 11.5 x 8cm (hwd), but Clearaudio says “its compact dimensions belie a serious phono stage”.
Ease of use has been taken into consideration for a new design, which makes switching between moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) operation easier than on the company's previous phono stages – which required the unit to be opened and internal jumpers reconfigured – with a button on the front panel.
At the heart of the unit are “extremely low-noise, high precision operational amplifiers”, with gain split across two stages: the first handling “the bulk” of amplification to “maximise signal-to-noise ratio”, while the second stage uses targeted filters to limit unwanted frequencies.
A 16Hz subsonic filter removes unwanted low-frequency rumbles, while a 70kHz ultrasonic filter “reliably catches cartridge resonances”. Clearaudio says that the new filtering system provides “broader protection against unwanted signals than the subsonic-only filtering found in earlier designs, while maintaining precise RIAA equalisation and complete signal stability”.
The Compact Phono has also been designed with flexibility in mind and will "accommodate everything from entry-level cartridges to extremely quiet MC systems”.
This is done by the inclusion of adjustable input loading, which provides 47kΩ / 100pF for MM and 100Ω / 100pF for MC. Additionally, switchable gain of 40dB and 60dB allows the unit to be matched to a “wide range of systems”.
Clearaudio says that both gain settings are higher than those offered by its predecessors, while MC operation promises a headroom of 29dB, which is “comfortably ahead of previous models”.
The Compact Phono includes an ±18V power supply, which Clearaudio claims delivers an “extremely stable, noise-free voltage supply” in combination with two linear voltage regulators.
According to Clearaudio, “top-quality” components have been used in the Compact Phono’s circuitry, which is all housed inside a low-resonance metal enclosure with isolating feet – which will minimise rumble as you stomp your feet to your favourite records.
The new phono stage is also more efficient than previous models, for a “lighter, cooler running” operation.
The Clearaudio Compact Phono is available now in finishes of black and silver for a price of £490 / €490 / $639.
At this price, the Compact Phono comes up against tough competition, including the similarly well-equipped, but cheaper, Cambridge Audio Duo MC/MM (£299 / $399 / AU$559) and the Award-winning, slightly more expensive, Graham Slee Reflex M (£540 / $960 / AU$1290).
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