Sonus Veritas Venice The Ultimate Phono Stage !

Sonus Veritas has designed a quiet, versatile phono preamplifier that uses an unconventional approach to support the goal of extracting the maximum pleasure from your LPs. We focused our efforts on developing a phono preamplifier with the following goals in mind:

• Very quiet input stage to ensure that preamplifier noise is never an issue that detracts from low level musical detail resolution, even with the lowest output MC cartridges
• Enough gain to accommodate very low output MC cartridges and enough gain flexibility to also allow the use of high output MC or MM cartridges
• Low impedance unbalanced (RCA) and balanced (XLR) outputs to enable a high quality interface with all preamplifiers and integrated amplifiers
• Stabilized vacuum tube operating conditions so that no adjustments are ever necessary to get the best performance throughout the life of the preamplifier, even in the face of tube changes

After experimenting with a number of approaches, we chose a three stage differential transformer-coupled topology that satisfies the goals above and provides a vinyl replay experience that has to be heard to be believed. Some of the technical attributes of this choice include:

• Differential circuitry, which rejects common mode noise resulting in cleaner sound reproduction
• Tube amplification circuitry supported by solid state devices, which provides a near ideal operating environment, for the preservation of music quality
• Use of Lundahl audio coupling transformers manufactured with high technology amorphous metals to facilitate the optimal interface with phono cartridges and preamplifiers

Features

• Two balanced/unbalanced (RCA) stereo inputs (XLR input jacks optional) (this beta unit has one input)
• One stereo unbalanced (RCA) output and one stereo balanced (XLR) output
• Flexible grounding options for inputs and outputs to eliminate ground loop hum/buzz
• Mute, polarity inversion, stereo/mono, gain, and panel light brightness controllable on the front panel
• Resistive cartridge loading, MC input gain, and MM/MC selection controllable on back panel

Specifications

Output Impedance: High Gain Mode: 400 ohms Low Gain Mode: 100 ohms
Maximum Input (@1KHz without MC Transformer in circuit): 70mV RMS
Maximum Output (@ 1KHz): 10V RMS
Frequency Response: Within 0.3db of the RIAA standard across the audio band with intentional response band limiting to -0.5db @ 20Hz and 20KHz
Tube Complement: 2 x 6N23P (6922 equivalent), 4 x 6N30P (6H30pi)
Shipping Weight: ~ 50 lbs (22.7 kg)
Operating Voltage: Worldwide from 120V to 240V

Sonus Veritas, which debuted their new line of electronics at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2011 is offering for sale several pre-production units (the first of which, the Venice phono stage is listed here) which were used in the production process. These units are electrically and sonically identical to their production brethren however they are in a pre-production chassis and may lack some of the convenience features of the production units (i.e. remote control, full front automatic control, etc.) but they SOUND identical to the production units. This is NOT the prototype unit that was discussed in the Nack review.

Presently set for 120V for operation in North America, can easily be converted for operation worldwide. We will ship worldwide as well !

Credit cards accepted for US buyers and all shipments will go to the credit card billing address. Contact us for payments outside the US.

If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact us here or go to www.sonusveritas.com for additional contact information.

You can find some press coverage on us here:

The Absolute Sound, Page 48 of the February 2012 issue mentions the Sonus Veritas Modena DAC.

http://parttimeaudiophile.com/2011/10/18/rmaf-2011-analysis-audio-arion-sonus-veritas/

Positive Feedback: http://positive-feedback.com/Issue59/sonus.htm

http://cybwiz.blogspot.com/2011/10/sonus-veritas-modena-dac.html

http://www.ultrahighendforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=199&t=6612

http://www.theaudiobeat.com/rmaf2011/rmaf2011_weekend.htm

http://live.audiogon.com/i/rmf2011/h/1319412377.jpg