::: high end MM & MC phono tube pre amplifier for two cartrigdes :::
STEREOPHILE REVIEW from Michael Fremer 12/2009
A
view of the compact and absolute wireless electronic - riaa modul
from SUNILDA. There is no hum, bee or any noise - only music. The
design on a double side pc board is constructed in double mono technology,
use best and selected components and guarantee high stable and highend
vinyl re - productions.
Product Description Sundila is a three stage
phono-preamplifier, based on 6922 (ECC88) and
12AX7
(ECC83) frame grid tubes, suitable for two MM- and MC-cartridges
at the same time. Independently for the two phono inputs, impedance
and capacitive load can be set separately and 'on-the -fly' while
listening. Thus the user can easily configure the unit to match
the features of the cartridge by selecting the optimal input resistance
and capacitance for each input separately!
Switches in front are found
for: MM/MC mode for each input; input 1 or 2; selectors are used
to select different resistor and capacitive input loads.
In MM mode the gain will
be 23 dB lower than MC and at a fixed input-impedance of 47 K. In MC mode the preamp will
have 20 dB higher gain and switchable input resistors and condensers.
The RIAA de-emphasis is passive and split between the first and
second stage. Dividing the RIAA network over two amplification stages
lowers the insertion losses of the passive network dramatically.
Furthermore, the design holds a total absence of feedback, thus
increasing the overall dynamics.
Power supplies are solid
state regulated. This is the best way to obtain a low noise and
supply line with a very low impedance that will increase the performance
in the lower frequency range. The power transformer is housed in
a separate aluminum case.
separate power supply case
Sunilda comes in an lasercut,
3mm thick steel, chassis in black or silver finish and has a case
similar to the Eklipse lineamplifier.
function selectors at the SUNILDA frontpane One of audio's best-kept secrets is the
AudioValve Eklipse pre-amp. All-valve, remote controlled, built
to standards that you'd expect of Germans and - above all - a true
bargain at £2100, it lacks only one thing: a phono section.
OK, so it's toe-curlingly ugly with its black-and-gold, steam-punk-Jules-Verne-reject
styling, but the sound is so good and the price so low that you
can overlook the aesthetics. (Please, Herr Becker, hire an industrial
designer!!!!) For those of you with a taste by-pass, the good news
is that the Sunilda phono stage is built into the same chassis.
It is, therefore, physically impressive
for a phono stage in terms of bulk and heft, more in keeping with
the Audio Research PH5 and other 'full size' units than the typically
cigarette-pack-sized offerings. Blessedly, it eschews minimalism
because the Sunilda is clearly aimed at the vinyl addict, the sort
of audiophile with more than one turntable and a herd/coven/school/flock
of cartridges. For this alone, it raised the hairs on my neck. However
much I worship the PH5, there are times when I find its lack of
facilities limiting. (Then again, I'm a reviewer as well as vinyl
addict, and I do change cartridges frequently.) Helmut Becker likes wireless assembly,
so the guts of the Sunilda rest on a double-sided PC board, laid
out in a dual-mono topology, all beautifully assembled. Becker doesn't
compromise on the components, and he indulges in hand-selection,
so the see-through lid is no conceit: you'll enjoy gazing at its
innards. For hours. He describes the Sunilda as a 'three-stage
phono-preamplifier, based on 6922 or ECC88 and 12AX7 or ECC83 frame
grid tubes.' The Sunilda - named after the daughter of Siegfried
and Brunhilde, so Valkyries can wallow in this one - accommodates
both moving magnet and moving-coil cartridges. What inveterate fiddlers
will love is that the Sunilda is two complete phono stages in one,
with BOTH sets of inputs enjoying the full complement of settings,
unlike some that offer either m-m or m-c for one or the other inputs.
Where this might prove handy is for A/B'ing arms or turntables when
you would need to use the same cartridges in both. And if you had
two identical turntable/arm set-ups, you could use it to compare
cartridges, including two of the same make and model. (Ask Decca-fiends
about sample-to-sample variation...) And if you have two identical
turntable/arm/cartridges, well, how about A/B'ing different LP pressings.
Like 180g vs 200g or reissue vs original? Thus, you have, independently for the two
inputs, adjustable impedance and capacitive load, which you can
do 'on-the-fly' while listening. Across the front, you have four
rotaries and four toggle switches. The rotaries, two per input,
set capacitance of 0, 100, 220 or 470pf and impedance of 47, 100,
220, 470, 1k and 47k ohms. Note that in moving magnet mode, the
gain is 20dB lower than in m-c mode, at a fixed input-impedance
of 47k.This means that users who like their m-cs at 47k ohms can
employ that value with some added gain. Koetsu users: rejoice! As for the four toggles, accompanied by
various coloured LEDs, they activate, left to right, mute/operate/standby,
mm/mc select for input 1, input selector for input 1 or 3, and lastly
mm/mc select for input 2. Around the back are the two sets of RCA
phono inputs with separate earths, a single pair of RCA phono outputs
and the socket for the power supply. Sunilda's RIAA de-emphasis is passive and
split between the first and second stage. According to Becker, 'Dividing
the RIAA network over two amplification stages lowers the insertion
losses of the passive network dramatically. Furthermore, the design
has a total absence of feedback, thus increasing the overall dynamics.'
He also opted for solid-state regulated power supplies. 'This is
the best way to obtain low noise and a supply line with a very low
impedance, to increase the performance in the lower frequency range.' Other niceties include an outboard power
supply, housed in a separate aluminium case and connecting to the
main chassis with a computer-grade cable. The main case itself is
laser-cut, 4mm thick steel, as mentioned before absolutely identical
in size to the Eklipse line-level pre-amplifier. Beside offering
the Sunilda in both silver and black, you can also specify silver
or gilt knobs, again depending on your stomach for bling-bling.
Alas, Sunilda sunglass are not supplied. This unit arrived in the midst of my most
overactive analogue phase in years. In addition to SME 10 and SME
30 turntables, I've recently added a Trio L-07D, and I have a fistful
of cartridges to play with, and of every stripe: London Gold and
Maroon (the latter mono), Koetsu Black Urushi, Shure V15 V, Lyra
(mono) Dorian, Transfiguration Temper V and a few others. With this
mix, I was able to assess most of the settings, comparing m-m vs
m-c, assorted impedances and other characteristics. First, some
observations: If you are using a complex system, and
a couple of turntables, you must pay attention to earthing to avoid
a loop. You may find yourself opening AC plugs to disconnect earths.
Moreover, the Sunilda responds well to quality mains leads, a solid
mounting surface and a good set of phono cables to the pre-amp,
which in this case was a line input on the McIntosh C2200. I used
Transparent Reference, and did not earth the Sunilda to the Mac.
The rest of the system included the McIntosh MC2102 and Wilson WATT
Puppy System 7. What was common at all stages was a consistency
that shows Becker favoured neither mm nor m-c: the Sunilda treats
both equally. Where it shines is in its ability to let the user
extract the most from either. I know, there are phono stages that
provide even more settings, but AudioValve struck a nice balance.
The only thing I would have added were oddball impedances for mm
so I could tweak the Deccas, but then I've only ever found these
on Tim De Paravicini's magnificent solid-state EAR 324. Provided you address the cabling properly,
the Sunilda is eerily quiet, if not quite on a par with the Sutherland
Phd. And yet you never forget that it's all-valve, with a warmth
that separates it from the EAR 324. The latter is hardly 'cold',
but it is so precise and proper that it approaches 'laboratory equipment'
in its presentation. The Sunilda is definitely fatter, more . Intriguingly,
transparency is on a par with solid-state phono stages, so either
Becker found some top-grade tubes, or - more likely - he extracted
better performance from the glassware he used than is humanly possible,
something he does with his power amps. (Actually, for Sunilda he's
using Electro-Harmonix tubes, which are mighty fine.) Sunilda's warmth was kept in check so that
it didn't overwhelm the listener with a hyper-analogue sound. It's
easy to dial in so much euphonic artifice that you can make any
LP sound more inviting than most intrinsically harsh digital sources,
but that means throwing away super-quick transients, or bass slap.
Sunilda sacrifices nothing: it pours forth the detail, the air,
the sense of a three-dimensional space and the kind of control that's
hard to fault. If, on the other hand, you need a vice-like grip
over the entire affair, you simply have to turn to EAR. (Damn, that
324 is some kind of wonderful...) What made me fall in love with the Sunilda
were big band mono LPs, which possess a sheen and shimmer that exists
nowhere else. Trust me: Billy May LPs have to be heard in true mono.
With both the Decca Maroon and the Lyra Dorian, I was able to summon
up room-filling, ear-caressing sounds that can only be described
as 'silky'. I hope that analogue's leading warriors, Michaels Hobson
and Fremer in the USA, get hold of Sunildas, because Sunilda will
prove to be a positively Wagnerian ally. If you have any doubts
about the worth of vinyl in 2005, this phono stage will help dispel
them. As you can imagine, competition in this
sector is tough: really, really tough. I recently bought the Audio
Research PH5, and - love it though I truly do - I have to admit
that it's shy of adjustability, and lacks the facility for a second
turntable; this makes it a pain in the arse if you like to fiddle
about with cartridges and decks. Conversely, it's THE choice if
you <DON'Tfiddle around. EAR's phono offerings are always magical,
from the least expensive to the sublimely dear; Quad's new valve
phono amp is even more of a bargain than the Sunilda; Sutherland's
Phd is the quietest phono stage I've ever heard (to be reviewed
soon!). As any show-goer will tell you, there are countless other
superb phono amps to consider as well. Sunilda, however, is something
genuinely special: it combines the best balance of all of the above
phono amps' virtues, sonically and practically, then doubles them
up and sells them to you for a sane price. But take a tip from KK: order yours in
silver rather than black. Andrew, from RPM Audio - UK l Technical Specifications: |
