Let’s start with the unit’s functionality. The Magnifier offers two, independently switchable and configurable phono inputs. These are both high-gain, MC inputs. The Magnifier offers no MM input, so high-output cartridges or Step-up transformers are not an option. Phono gain can be set to 54, 60 or 66dB (making it suitable for cartridges with at least 0.4mV output), with loading options limited to 100, 250, 600 or 1,200Ω settings. So far, so very sensible. The unit isn’t designed to handle really low output cartridges, while two, independently configurable inputs certainly make sense in the context of current multi-tonearm turntables. The loading options might seem limited, but I rarely find myself venturing outside the 100 to 1000Ω range, while infinitesimally small loading steps are the route to incipient audio OCD. If you’ve already passed the point of no return along that path, this isn’t the phono-stage for you.
Compared to most other phono-stages, the Magnifier also offers a pair of rather more unusual features: there’s the ability to select a volume controllable output, as well as a pair of standard line inputs, on balanced XLRs or single-ended RCAs. Suddenly, things start to look a little different. Yes, this is a high-end phono-stage: but it is also a preamplifier in the wider sense. Back in the day, when all preamplifiers included a phono-stage, it was, quite literally, a given, line inputs being a secondary consideration for connecting a tuner or tape-deck. These days, the notion of a preamplifier, at least as it used to be understood, is all but redundant. But rather than a line-stage, perhaps with the option to add a basic phono-stage internally, this is a genuine preamplifier: the emphasis might be firmly on full phono performance and functionality – but it also aims to provide no-compromise connection for line-level sources, such as a tape deck, DAC or CD player.
But the operational niceties don’t stop there. The Magnifier also offers both balanced XLR and single-ended RCA outputs. Nothing unusual in that. Except that in this case, not only are there separate stages for fixed or variable output, they can be selected and configured individually. So, for example, it’s perfectly practical to employ the Magnifier to feed two separate systems, one fed via the XLR outputs, the other from the RCAs, with either output being fixed or variable as required. It’s perfectly conceivable that you might use the Magnifier as your main preamplifier in one system, employing its volume control, while also using the second set of outputs via variable or fixed-level connection, to run a second system or a headphone amplifier, with the ability to listen to one, the other or both simultaneously.
That’s an interesting range of options: one that’s long on practicality and real-world performance. But it’s also quite a challenge when it comes to delivery. Building a great phono-stage is difficult. A great line-stage is harder still. Combining both in a single box? You’d better bring you’re A-game – and a dose of the clevers isn’t going to hurt either. But if you succeed then you’ll be giving your customers two for the price of one – at least in terms of current system thinking and topology. It also means that The Magnifier demands not one, but two (or even three) separate reviews: one that considers it as a standalone phono-stage; one that employs it in the role of preamplifier and, finally, one that looks at its line-stage in isolation…
We know what it says on the tin, but what’s inside?
It doesn’t take much to realise that Micha Huber’s skillset resides mainly in the mechanical and materials side of engineering. In the Magnifier you can see it expressed in the beautifully executed, milled from solid case-work on the head unit and power supply, and the superb fit and finish of both. The results are impressively solid and surprisingly weighty despite their compact dimensions (430 x 320 x 87mm for the main unit, 140 x 320 x 68mm for the PSU). But for the internals he approached Stellavox who responded with a suitably innovative circuit, not just to meet the functionality outlined above, but in terms of topology too. The circuit itself uses a fully balanced, pure Class A, feedback-free configuration. Unusually, the RIAA equalisation (no other replay curves are included) is executed using air-cored inductors. It’s unusual not least because it involves the exacting task of hand-winding the inductors, while in this case it also means fitting the resulting component into the pocketed space in the machined chassis. Why go this route? Because taking it promises to avoid the high-frequency roll-off associated with capacitors employed in this role. Also, by acting on the unit’s overall gain, rather than shaping the signal that then has to be amplified, there is a theoretical advantage in terms of noise. That aligns with the other design decisions here. The goal of eliminating negative feedback and capacitors from the signal path is to minimise transient and time-domain distortion while maximising bandwidth and headroom. Like many genuinely high-performance products, it offers a combination of good practice and lateral thinking, but theoretical benefits still need to be realised in practice.
