Musical Surroundings Phonomena II+ Phono Preamp

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General:

This phono pre makes a great pairing for just about any 'table, modern or vintage.

It's compact and versatile supporting both MM (Moving Magnet) and MC (Moving Coil) phono cartridges, along with easy to access gain and input loading settings located directly on the rear panel.

It's also in excellent cosmetic and functioning condition. 

This phono preamp comes with its original power supply and owner's manual.

From Musical Surroundings:
The Phonomena II+ is the successor to our most affordable phono preamplifier series, introduced in the 1990s.

The Phonomena II+ features an improved chassis design, based on our more expensive Nova III, and is available in both black and silver finish.

Boasting a new circuit board layout, the Phonomena II+ delivers discrete dual-mono signal paths, affording the listener more vibrant and dynamic music reproduction with a “blacker” background.

Expertly made, inside and out, the Phonomena II+’s small footprint optimizes signal path integrity, while its black or silver finish options are sure to match the rest of your components.

The Phonomena II+ is proudly Made in the USA and provides phenomenal sound and flexibility at an affordable price. You can enjoy a greater sonic performance by adding the Linear Charging Power Supply.

SkyFi Cosmetic Notes:
Excellent condition overall, no major scuffs or scratches on casing.

Ownership:
Single Owner

Connections:
RCA single-ended phono Inputs and outputs, ground connection.

General Sound:
Neutral sound with little to no coloration

Cosmetic Condition:
8/10 = Very Good. Excellent front faceplate, one minor flaw on chassis side or top. See our detailed rating description here.

Working Condition:
Working perfectly and tested in our lab and listening room.

Included:
Unit, manual, and power cord.

Packing:
Will be packed using our highly developed in-house process and custom packing materials.Specs:
Gain Switches (dB): 40, 44, 46, 48, 50, 51.5, 52.7, 53.7, 56, 57.5, 58.4,
59.4, 60

Input Loading Switches (Ohms): 30, 40, 50, 59, 80, 100, 121, 150, 243, 280, 380, 475, 660, 1k, 2k, 50k, 100k

Dimensions:
8.5" W x 6" D x 2" H

Weight:
3 lbs.

Link to Manual:
Click Here

Recommended Cables:
Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Better

Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Best

Kimber Kable - Phono Interconnects

Testing Process:
We start with a visual inspection of all internal components to make sure that there are no signs of heat stress or damage. Capacitors are checked for telltale signs of predictive failure including bulging, shrunken wrappers, or physical leakage. We also inspect the PCBs for discoloration from resistors or transistors that may have been running hot. On vintage units we often spot check select capacitors for value and ESR.

When we first power on a preamplifier we connect its RCA output to a Sencore PA81 Power Analyzer which simulates real world loading conditions and gives us an oscilloscope interface.

The first order of business is checking that the volume control works smoothly throughout its entire range with acceptable channel balance. This is accomplished by feeding a 1 KHz sine wave into one of the preamp’s line level inputs while monitoring the preamp’s output on an oscilloscope.

We then switch to a 1 KHz square wave to test the tone controls, loudness function, and filters where applicable. During this step we are watching for equal alteration of the test signal by both channels. This also helps us identify dirty controls that will need treatment.

Once the basic line stage functions are verified, we test each input individually. This is especially important for devices that use relays to select their sources. If the preamp is equipped with a phono stage we test that as well. We use an inverse RIAA filter which allows us to feed a reference test signal into the phono input with the proper RIAA equalization and level. A square wave or sine sweep is used to verify that the device’s phono stage is faithfully reproducing the RIAA curve. If the preamp under test has balanced inputs and/or outputs these are tested as well.

We finish up our bench testing with a listening test with our bench amplifier and reference speakers. During this test we check for hum or hiss that may not have shown up in earlier testing. We also check that all of the tone controls and filters perform as expected.

If the preamplifier has remote control functions these are also tested. Preamps with tube circuits or complicated power supply topologies are connected at our long term test rig for extended stress testing under real world conditions.