When I first plugged The Magnifier in, I thought I was dealing with a phono-stage that essentially mimicked the aspirations of variable output DACs. Boy, was I wrong. This is a unit that takes all of its various input and output options equally (and very) seriously. This is a preamplifier in the fullest sense of the term, configurable to provide all of the facilities you need to achieve both high-quality vinyl and digital connection, to incorporate a tape record and replay capability, to hook up a high-quality headphone system or run a second system in another room. It covers a lot of bases: maybe not all of them simultaneously, but given the way that audiophile systems tend to evolve, its flexible enough to cover most eventualities.
What doesn’t it do? Well, it doesn’t offer different record replay EQ curves (it would require an awful lot of inductors to do that!) and somewhat bizarrely, despite offering two phono inputs, it doesn’t offer a mono switch (one of the main reasons people need a second input). There again, it has to be said that Thales does offer a mono cartridge in its EMT line, at least in one sense obviating the requirement.
Who should, or why should you consider The Magnifier? If your audio interest is programme (rather than product) focussed: if you are source agnostic and want equally good musical results, whether the source is vinyl, optical or hard disc; if you want to use (rather than constantly tinker with) your system; if you want a compact, elegant, stylish, beautifully finished and versatile system control unit; if you answered “Yes” to some or all of those questions – then look no further. The Magnifier’s musical integrity, its sense of body, presence and rhythmic fluidity and, above all, it’s sense of musical purpose and human agency make for relaxing, engaging and rewarding long-term listening. It stands comparison with the likes of CH Precision’s benchmark P1 and L1, qualitatively equal even if its holistic musical perspective is distinct and different. It achieves all that in a smaller chassis at a lower cost. If you ask me to suggest a line-stage and phono-stage to match the performance and quality of the Thales for less money, I can’t get close. So, rather than changing your phono-stage OR line-stage, maybe it’s time to consider switching (and upgrading) both! I started out thinking that this might be an excellent option for a listener with a firm vinyl priority – but who still wanted decent results from digital. What I never for a moment considered, was the reverse scenario – the listener increasingly depending on digital replay, be that optical disc or streaming, who still wanted to replay an existing record collection. The Magnifier’s line-stage is that good: Given the way the market is shifting, its arrival might just be that timely.
Lovely to look at, lovely to listen to and just as lovely to use, don’t ignore The Magnifier simply because it doesn’t match the shape of the hole you see in your system. By challenging preconceptions and offering alternative solutions, the Thales might just answer questions you didn’t realise you needed to ask. In these days of separate everything, a multi-function analogue preamplifier might seem a bit ‘back to the future’, but you don’t need to spend much time listening to The Magnifier to recognise that, for more than a few music loving listeners, the future might just look a whole lot like this.
