General Asylum: REVIEW: Plinius Jarrah Phono Preamp by Aurel

With the Jarray Phono Preamplifier, I have just finished my "full Plinius system" : SA-250 amplifier, CD-LAD linestage and jarrah phono unit.

What to say ? If I could write in my own language (french), I could fill pages of text explaining how great the result is. As I am not extremely fluent in english, I will make it short : I cannot find any shortcoming.

The Jarrah is able to handle both MM and MC cartridges. To change the gain, you need to open the unit (six screws), which takes some time, but allows you to see how well the product is built : a real marvel (no inexpensive op-amps but discreet components) ! Furthermore, the load can also be changed to match any particular impedance. The aluminium case with a very nice wood face plate is particularly elegant.

Now about the sound. In two words : a fantastic result. Extremely refined and lively. Both accurate and subtle. This phono unit is nothing else than a direct link to the music : it is, to my ears, absolutely transparent. The bass control is excellent and the mid-range "magic" sometimes experiences with tubes is clearly here ! No "grain" in the sound as often notices with cost-effective phono stages.

The earth post is extremely useful to reduce the noise floor to a very acceptable level.

The Jarrah is a final point to my Plinius dream system. I have now found what I have been looking for during a long audiophile quest : the perfect gears. Now, I smile when remembering my first questions : SS or tube, digital or analog, etc... Plinius provided me the answer : clever design and great building quality, direct link to the music itself.

Both as a music-lover (trusting my ears !) and as a physicist (impressed by the hardware quality), I would recommend Plinius without hesitating.

REVIEW: Plinius Jarrah Phono Preamp Review by Aurel at Audio Asylum