Nor is this limited to the musical momentum and drive demanded by rock and pop music. Comparing Bach Violin Concertos (Menuhin on EMI ASD 346 to the recent Hyperion release of Ibragimova, LPA68068) the differences in approach, technique, instruments and arrangements are stark, while the sheer substance and spatial/temporal coherence of The Magnifier brings presence, dynamic contrasts and dramatic changes in density to larger-scale works. The instruments on Art Pepper’s Smack Up (Contemporary S7602) have colour, presence and a natural sense of confidence, a confidence that extends to the playing, breathing life into the band and the slowly grinding (and distinctly filthy) groove of ‘Las Cuevas De Mario’.
The Magnifier isn’t going to match the ‘spit on the microphone’ immediacy and transparency of the P1. Instead, its emphasis on holistic musical substance, the whole rather than the parts, makes for an engaging and emotionally compelling presentation. The P1 can startle and astonish, pull you in and keep you there. The Magnifier might draw you in more gently, but its musical intensity and power will hold you just as firmly.
Is The Magnifier’s phono-stage a one trick pony? Does it only deliver such compelling musical results with its own, partner cartridges? The short answer to that is no. I achieved excellent results with the Lyras, the phono-stage elevating the entry level Dorian (sadly no-longer available) to a quite remarkably refined level, while feasting on the life, detail and incisive dynamics of the Etna Lambda. But at the same time, results with the Fuuga and Goldfinger Statement were less impressive. Switching the Fuuga to the current-sensing inputs on the P1 produced such a dramatic improvement in performance that you might almost wonder whether you are listening to the same cartridge. In fact, it reflects two different aspects of performance. The P1’s current-sensing inputs are significantly better than its voltage sensing input (an imbalance that has been corrected on the P10) but the ultra-low (2.5Ω!) internal impedance of the Fuuga also prefers this approach. Likewise, the Goldfinger is another outlier, with an internal impedance of 50Ω. Neither cartridge sounded bad with The Magnifier: they just didn’t sound their best.
It’s a result that (once again) prises the lid off of the can of worms that is cartridge/phono-stage matching – a can the industry and magazines seem all too happy to leave well out of sight and firmly out of mind. But, just like matching a power amp to speakers, the results you experience will depend on the efficacy of the match between cartridge and phono-stage – and the differences in the results achieved are far from subtle. It’s not simply a case of which phono-stage sounds better, or even how a particular phono-stage sounds, but how that phono-stage is going to work with the cartridge in question. Ideally, just like amp and speakers, the cartridge/phono-stage choice should be made together, even if they are purchased separately. But the issues don’t stop at matching. For best results, the phono-stage has to match the cartridge(s) in use, but it also has to match the system and replay requirements. In this regard, different phono-stages offer vastly different options and facilities. Just taking The Magnifier and the P1 as examples, I’ve already touched on the range of input and output facilities in the Thales and the options they open up. The P1 offers no line-input or level control capabilities. It is not a pre-amplifier in the way that The Magnifier definitely is. But, the P1 does offer transimpedance inputs and it also offers the option of installing alternative replay curves (Decca, EMI, Columbia and Teldec/DGG) to the RIAA and e-RIAA EQs it offers as standard. Now, whether or not you want or need those curves depends on your own tolerance for futzing with the system and the record collection you have. If you only own records pressed in the 21st Century, or US pressings from the ‘70s onwards, you probably don’t need the curves. But if you listen to classical music on original pressings, especially European pressings, they’re pretty much indispensable.
