Vincent PHO-300 Phonopreamp Black

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 an 'entry level' phono stages from other manufacturers. Vincent only puts its name on high quality and great sounding gear. Though affordable, this is one of Vincent's smartest designs to date.

Superb 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, 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 alone weighs two pounds and has impressive heft when held in the hand.

This 'separates' approach to power supply and audio circuitry has the advantages of keeping the harmful radiation effects of power away from the delicate electronics of the phono preamp. 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 preamp circuitry. 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 preamp 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 10 mm thick aluminum front panel follows the design of Vincent's PremiumLine series. Stack 'em to conserve space or set them next to another. 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.