The Phonolith is an exciting new product combining highly adjustable MM/MC-phonostage, single input line stage with maximum signal transparency and a powerful headphone amp. This venture into a 'fusion' comes naturally for LehmannAudio, an established specialist manufacturer of phonostages and headphone amps, who have now added an extra level of flexibility with an ingeniously minimalist great-sounding pre-amp for 1 line source (music streamer, for instance) and 1 phono source (turntable). It can be used with a power amp and/or headphones. Monolith is a very apt name for such compact unit with short signal path and unbelievably clear sound.
To keep stray electromagnetic fields and other noise sources at their lowest the Phonolith is powered from an external linear power supply, a LehmannAudio-designed PWX II LZ.
While many manufacturers eschew cartridge loading and gain control in modern day phonostages LehmannAudio gives the customer the very opposite: adjustable everything.
An array of microswitches (DIP), accessible from the bottom of the main unit, controls gain (4 steps to cater from low level MC cartridges to high output MMs) and load impedance to achieve a perfect match to virtually every cartridge on the market. Other DIPs turn off/on and fine tune the rumble filter, a high pass circuit which removes low frequency playback noise generated by warped records.
The pure class A output stage is powerful enough to drive long cable runs which is particularly useful when your amps are positioned closer to speakers than to equipment rack. A headphone amp inside is a new landmark for LehmannAudio, new development with performance above the previous implementations. It is practically load independent and can drive any headphones on the market.
Together with LehmannAudio's stereo power amp (Stamp or Stamp SE) the new Monolith will complete an extremely compact high performance amplification system for use with a modern day source choice: DAC or streamer line output for digital music and turntable for all things vinyl.
A nice tabletop system can employ The Phonolith with active speakers, PMC's new twenty5is active, for instance. In the age of music streaming vinyl record is going strong too and the new Phonolith preamp from LehmannAudio brings the best from both worlds direct to your home.
See this product in our online store: LehmannAudio Phonolith.
