THE CD PLAYER PLUS - Ultra High Fidelity Magazine

Listening Feedback Room
because of the detailed midrange.”
We still had one question concerning
the slightly odd sound of the voice in
Stimela. Our London Reference phono
cartridge is neither a moving coil nor a
moving magnet type, but its nominal
5 volt output is some 6 dB higher than
that of the typical MM cartridge. That
could be high enough to cause problems
with a preamp that lacks sufficient
headroom. The Phono-1.5 did just fine
with it under all circumstances, but
did its successor have the same talent?
Gerard had just the recording to settle
the question.
It may have been in fact possibly the
second stereo LP ever released (the first,
from Audio Fidelity, was a test master
launched hastily into production in
violation of contract). It featured drummer
Shelly Manne and a young pianist
named Andre Previn, with bassist Leroy
Vinnegar. This outstanding LP, a jazz
adaptation of the music from Broadway’s
Lil’ Abner (Stereo Records S7019)
unmatched by pretty much anything
today, has grooves the width of a small
airport runway. Would this bundle of
It’s funny — and delightful — how a
technical improvement can translate into a
richer experience of music.
The Audiomat engineers consider this a
“point one” increment, from 1.5 to 1.6, but I
felt the result — an increase in musical appreciation
— was a good deal richer than a tenth
of a point or the price difference between the
two models. The first time ’round, with the
1.5, I noticed how clearly Jennifer Warnes’
accompanists were positioned in the sound
stage; but the second time around I didn’t
even care. I stopped writing and just listened
to the way she shaped her notes.
Again with the 1.5 version, Hugh
Masekela’s African place names in Stimela
were close to overacted, nearly a rant.
With the 1.6 they were less overdone, more
discreet, and for that reason much more
effective.
The difference wasn’t just in the vocals.
Everything benefited, from double bass to
cymbals.
—Toby Earp
48 ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY Magazine
raw energy overwhelm the Phono 1.6?
No it didn’t, but we certainly heard
differences between the two phono
preamps. “It’s a better recording than
I thought,” said Toby, “and I thought
it was good before.” Albert agreed.
“The instruments don’t just float in
space, they carve out their space.” The
dynamics were downright explosive,
inviting comparisons with Sheffield
LPs of the direct-to-disc era. Once
again, the Phono-1.6 seemed to have
more solid midrange than its illustrious
predecessor. We hasten to add that this
is a dynamic effect, caused by the way it
Summing it up…
Brand/model: Audiomat Phono-1.6
Price: C$3290
Size (WDH): Main unit 14 x 23.5 x
8 cm, power supply 10.5 x 12.5 x 6 cm
Most liked: Very quiet, very transparent
performance
Least liked: No adjustments available
for weird MC cartridges
Verdict: The magic of its predecessor,
and a little more
CROSSTALK
I was so used to the quality and refinement
of the 1.5 reference unit that I kept
reconsidering my impressions during the
listening tests until the very end, when it
became quite obvious that this new phono
stage was quite an improvement.
This unit is not just a decent upgrade, as
I felt in the beginning, most likely because
I found it hard to believe that much of an
improvement could be added to the previous
model. It is a substantial accomplishment.
The differences became striking when we
switched back to the reference. It seemed as
if, with the 1.6, we had done a major cable
upgrade.
More of the essence of the music was
allowed to flow, filling wonderfully the
whole frequency range with — dare I say — a
gorgeously juicy sound. There, I dared.
Ever tasted a nice, crisp pear and then a
deliciously ripe one? Then you know.
—Albert Simon
I had to do a lot of listening, and listening
behaves with a changing music signal,
and it isn’t something you expect to see
on a static frequency response test.
We were glad we had added in those
two other LPs, because they reassured
us that we really heard what we thought
we heard. After just the first four recordings
we would have been in for a long
inconclusive discussion as to the wisdom
of migrating to the new phono preamp.
After six recordings we knew where we
were going. Yes, the Phono-1.6 would
join the long list of our reference gear.
Beyond any question of dynamics or
fuller midrange, what a component like
this one can deliver is not something one
would attempt to measure, and that is a
serving of magic. We heard it when we
first listened to the Audiomat Phono-1.5
some years ago, we have heard it with
a few — but very few — other audio
components. And we heard it during this
test session.
What can this sort of magic do for
you? It can make you eager to free up
some time to listen to some music,
and there’s nothing more magical than
that.
again, to be sure of what I was hearing. The
difference wasn’t as clear cut as it had been
when we had adopted the Phono 1.5 in the
first place. Then, it was the sheer magic of
this preamp that had made the decision easy.
But what happens when you have two phono
preamps that are graduates of Hogwarts?
I have to add that I wasn’t wildly eager
to adopt this new preamp in any case.
Ideally our reference systems would never
change (look up the word “reference” in the
dictionary, and you’ll see why). When we do
make changes, it’s because we figure a new
product will make a better working tool. A
better phono preamp can let us do better
evaluations of amplifiers and loudspeakers.
But that’s a tall order, even if a new product
is judged “better” than what we own.
After the long listening session had
ended, I was satisfied. This new preamp
really does everything better than even the
old one did, and it’s quieter besides. What’s
not to like?
—Gerard Rejskind