MZX Audio PHO-NR1 Phono Stage Review

[NicS]

Sort of, see the product sheet on their website for she full set of combinations.

Big Aphex Twin fan BTW….

 

[sceptical1]

It is a shame that the poll results indicate no interest in the actual performance of the device rather a cursory look at the conclusions and this when no mc testing was performed.

When noise is the primary engineering problem to be overcome designing a mic preamp for mc is quite clever. Fully balanced circuitry, 72db gain, 1k input, -100db cmrr, xlr in/out, sounds like a mic preamp to me. Coincidentally a 48v ps, there must be a phantom power connection hiding in there someplace. That Meanwell ps is a nice looking item.

Of course there is 50k input available (I thought not, default with 60p cap loading) and also both 100R switches parallel for 50R needed for those very low output (low impedance) mc cartridges.

Now that the eq problem was easily taken care of there is no phono preamp that can surpass this on specs, thanks to the smps 6-10db quieter than the excellent Fidler and being fully balanced no even order thd. and the commandeered 2 stage riaa circuit guarantees tracking to within 0.2db on every preamp using standard 2% tolerance caps.

For the price, your 5 figure+ snake oil preamps touted at "that other site" will prove to be even more of an embarassment.
What measurements show and realizing that same performance in use are why a balanced configuration (done right) and balanced inputs are the bare minimum for problem free vinyl playback under any conditions, rfi, ground loops, maybe even compliance related resonances if he fixed the hi pass filter.
Too bad about the Buckeye style enclosure. If you think this is excusable look at what Audio Smile can do with the LBM at half the price. Same garage, same innovative designer, one is attractive and one is butt ugly. It must be intentional. I'm not falling for the 'we spend all the money on the internals to save YOU our valued customers every precious dollar possible". Aesthetics count when I want to show off.

 

[Bland_username42069]

4 figures and internal dip switches is a tough sell. At some point ergonomics has to come into the equation

 

[amirm]

It is a shame that the poll results indicate no interest in the actual performance of the device rather a cursory look at the conclusions and this when no mc testing was performed.

There is nothing cursory about this:

As a minimum this should have been documented.

 

[amirm]

In view of all that, I'm really puzzled you are now quite reluctant to measure the MZX in the use case for which it appears to have been optimized -- namely, with a low-output MC cartridge.

The gain setting would not have an impact on the overall review. Same frequency response error would be there regardless. With the tested gain being kind of in between MM and MC, the evaluation was more or less completed for both. I was not going to double the work just because.

 

[sceptical1]

The design concept is enough for me to interpret the ultimate performance of this device. Your MM measurements prove this as being the best phono device tested so far, as you say, the measurements are compelling so, MC performance will be as good or better than anything else.

By cursory I assumed it was plainly obvious that I was talking about the response to the poll by members who know so little about audio as to skew the results by being dumbstruck by a completely inaudible, measurably insignificant and easily remedied (already done by the designer) out of band abberation exactly the same as a class d non pffb high frequency peak of 1.5 db just above 20khz where in that case is not worthy of any concern

Your not recommended conclusion based solely on the contrived opinion of a glaring defect being present didn't help matters when the younger, newer members are so impressionable.
I don't even care that you refuse to make a checklist so you won't miss a part of your normal test procedure. Except if a product is designed to address absolute transparency for an intended function and what the result would be under those conditions (0.5mv, 50 ohms, 62db gain) is completely ignored. Or, the LBM has a method specially designed to reduce port resonances that can't be confirmed because you forgot to measure that port output we could care less about on the last 200 reviews where it was 20db below the signal level, by how much did the LBM improve it. Who knows.

On to more important things: JAYs 4 LADs 2, bottom 7th

 

[Ein]

The design concept is enough for me to interpret the ultimate performance of this device. Your MM measurements prove this as being the best phono device tested so far, as you say, the measurements are compelling so, MC performance will be as good or better than anything else.

By cursory I assumed it was plainly obvious that I was talking about the response to the poll by members who know so little about audio as to skew the results by being dumbstruck by a completely inaudible, measurably insignificant and easily remedied (already done by the designer) out of band abberation exactly the same as a class d non pffb high frequency peak of 1.5 db just above 20khz where in that case is not worthy of any concern

Your not recommended conclusion based solely on the contrived opinion of a glaring defect being present didn't help matters when the younger, newer members are so impressionable.
I don't even care that you refuse to make a checklist so you won't miss a part of your normal test procedure. Except if a product is designed to address absolute transparency for an intended function and what the result would be under those conditions (0.5mv, 50 ohms, 62db gain) is completely ignored. Or, the LBM has a method specially designed to reduce port resonances that can't be confirmed because you forgot to measure that port output we could care less about on the last 200 reviews where it was 20db below the signal level, by how much did the LBM improve it. Who knows.

On to more important things: JAYs 4 LADs 2, bottom 7th

You are right. I'm vinyl man. That thing is an achievement. No less, no more. Very rare form designed to offer a level without any "buts". In my opinion happy pink here and after minor upgrade GREAT.