Following in the footstep’s of its D7 DAC, Audiolab has announced its first standalone phono stage for almost 20 years.
The new PPA7 includes everything you’d expect from a standalone vinyl preamp, by catering for both moving-magnet (MM) and moving-coil (MC) pick-ups, with a range of settings on offer to tailor to your cartridge.
These include 47kΩ input impedance for MMs with a choice of 100pF or 220pF capacitance and selectable 100Ω and 330Ω resistive loading for MCs, with gain adjustable by ±6dB in 1dB steps up to 52dB for MMs and 66dB for MCs.
But that’s not all that’s on the PPA7’s spec sheet, as you also get a dedicated 6.35mm front panel headphone socket alongside variable (as well as fixed) output, allowing it to function as a preamp, driving both headphones and a standalone power amp directly.
And to bring it bang up to date, also inside is an ADC (Analogue-to-Digital Converter), which opens the door to streaming vinyl over Bluetooth (to wireless headphones or speakers for example) and connecting to a PC or Mac to convert vinyl into digital files for storage and playback.
The PPA7 also boasts a 12V DC external PSU, which is then converted internally into a symmetrical, regulated ±8.5V supply for the analogue circuitry, using separate positive and negative regulation stages.
Priced at what seems a very reasonable £499 in black or silver finishes, complete with remote control, visit Audiolab to find out more.
