The Vincent Audio pho-8 phono stage is truly one of those 'bang for your buck' audio products that come around every now and again. The German company has gained this reputation by repeatedly putting out products that deliver a performance that belies the cost. The pho-8 is a two box phono stage with a separate power supply unit which lowers noise considerably. It caters for MM and MC cartridges. It lacks variable gain or impedance, with default settings of 47ohms and 58mV for MM and 100ohms and 6.8mV for MC. Before I upgraded to this unit, I was using a Project Phono Box and then a QED Discsaver, which I thought was a significant improvement on the Project. Having identified the phono stage as an area that still needed upgrading, my research within my budget led me to the Vincent. Reviews were all singing the same tune.....along the lines of "you would usually have to spend a lot more money to get this sort of performance". The 'unboxing' revealed a handsome, sturdy unit with a high end appearance.....for a start, the aluminium face plate is 1cm thick! Mine is in black but it also comes in silver. There is an air of quality in everything about this unit. Great first impression! Looking within the phono section reveals the use of quality electronic components. At the time of first listen, I was using a Grace F8C cartridge, but have since used the MC stage with a Denon DL103 and am now using a recently purchased Grace Level ll RC cart (this is truly sublime!). Soundwise, the first thing I noticed after about two hours burn in time, when it noticeably 'hit the sweet spot', was the level of refinement and extra detail it gave to my music while adding power and 'guts' to the overall presentation. Soundstage became wider, presentation was more 3D, bass deeper and punchier, mids sublime with vocal improvement obvious and the highs crisp and accurate. Stringed instruments came alive, as if being played live in my loungeroom. Separation improved and everything was more balanced and in sync.....the improvement was stunning. I have since realised that to maintain this unit in the 'sweet spot', it has to be left on 24/7 (this is recommended in the owners manual) otherwise you will be waiting about two hours for optimum performance. This unit cost me $Au350 and would probably be around $US200-250 in the US, possibly cheaper. It truly represents stunning value for the performance level it delivers. Definitely worth an audition!! For the money spent.....5 stars!!
