Page 121 - Hi-Fi World (January 2020)

VINYL SECTION

Design Master

Audio Analogue’s elegant AAPhono stage, reviewed by Noel Keywood.

ere’s an elegant phono ity moving coil cartridges, as I will Beneath the fascia lie small
stage from Audio explain later. push-buttons that select various
Analogue of Italy, dis- The AAPhono is fronted by input conditions. At left a row of
playing typical Italian a thick brushed aluminium front eight LEDs show MM/MC selection,
design flare. Although panel with neat rows of bright and MC load of 100, 400, 680 or
H the casework and white LEDs – 16 in all – at left 1000 Ohms. Most MCs need 100
switching methodology – reliant and right of a large central circular Ohms, but the higher values suit
on small-signal relays – is techno- on/off button. Although the button the few high output moving coils
logically advanced, in basic outline rotates it does not alter volume around that need 300 Ohm or
the AAPhono is straight forward. or select input conditions, only more. Audio Analogue also place
It accommodates moving mag- LED brightness. I found this a bit a SubSonic (SS) filter switch and
net (MM) and moving coil (MC) disappointing since volume control indicator here that works with both
cartridges, but there are no gain in particular can be useful in a MC and MM.
options and only unbalanced phono phono stage, allowing it to drive a At right are a further eight
inputs and outputs. Measurement power amplifier directly. There is no LEDs that show input load
suggests it's purposed for high qual- remote control. conditions for MM cartridges. There

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