Compact, Affordable Phono Preamp with Dual Chassis Design
LPs just keep growing in popularity as increasing numbers of audiophiles discover the many attributes of the good old fashioned vinyl record format. If you've been searching for an affordable, great sounding phono preamplifier, search no further than the new PHO-300 from Vincent Audio. Just plug in your turntable, connect the PHO-300 to a standard line-level input of your integrated amp, receiver, or powered speaker, and enjoy your favorite albums and 45s.
The PHO-300 is Vincent's newest phono preamp, and it is the perfect solution for anyone who wants to experience a high degree of musical enjoyment on a budget. But don't confuse this with 'entry level' phono stages from other manufacturers. Vincent only puts its name on high quality audio gear, and this is one of Vincent's smartest designs yet.
"Astonishing at Times"
"It looks as good as it sounds… If you are a vinyl enthusiast and want the best experience you can have without breaking the bank, you would be wise to consider the PHO-300," raves gadgetrytech.com, June 9, 2020.
"It is never caught out by anything and it sails through a wide variety of material in a calm yet capable way. The top end is crisp and insightful," reports Hi-Fi Choice, July 21, 2022. "Its bass is firm and punchy with snappy timing, and the amount of detail it serves up is astonishing at times."
Superb and Significant Separate-Chassis Power Supply
Don't look for a puny 'wall-wart' power supply on the PHO-300. Instead of including a standard wall adapter or incorporating an underpowered AC supply under the hood, the German-based audiophile company went all the way with a superb sonic solution.
As with its big brothers, the PHO-701 and PHO-500, the PHO-300 uses an elaborately designed external power supply housed in a separate chassis for a no-compromise approach to sound quality. Feeling is believing. The power unit weighs around three pounds and has impressive heft when held in the hand.
This 'separates' approach to power supply and audio circuitry has the advantages of keeping negative effects from your household supply from interfering with your music. Thanks to a massive transformer and superior power regulation, AC power line ripples and interference are completely eliminated. The PHO-300's power supply provides constant, reliable power to the phono amplification circuitry at all times. Fluctuations from your local utility have no impact of the sonic purity of the amplification circuitry.
The PHO-300's power supply unit connects to the phono stage unit via a five-pin DIN-plug. This dual chassis approach is one of the major factors that makes the PHO-300 such a superior component.
Switchable MM/MC Operation
The separate-chassis phono stage unit accommodates both MM moving magnet and MC moving coil cartridges. A front panel switch lets you choose between them. High-quality parts are used throughout the construction for extremely low noise operation. The MM section delivers a greater than 84 dB signal-to-noise ratio, while the MC section delivers greater than 71 dB ratio, with total harmonic distortion of less than 0.02%.
Both the power supply and the preamp units boast an exemplary metal case that testifies to the quality of the PHO-300. The attractive 10mm-thick aluminum front panel follows the design of Vincent's PremiumLine series. Stack 'em to conserve space. They look great together. The PHO-300 includes one pair of RCA inputs plus a ground, and one pair of RCA outputs. It also includes a detachable C7-style power cord and a rear-panel fuse.
