Vertere Acoustics has introduced the high-end Calon phono stage at High End Munich. The name Calon means 'heart' in Welsh, which is quite a poetic name for an electronic component that can make or break the performance of a vinyl-playing system.
The Calon is a carefully considered moving magnet/moving coil unit that takes a fresh look at how a phono preamplifier should be designed. It is dual-mono in construction to ensure that the signal path for each channel is identical, with extensive care taken over the power supply arrangement and its shielding. The amplification boards are sophisticated four-layer gold-plated circuits packed full of high-quality components. Vertere hasn't just crammed them full of 'big name' audiophile parts, rather it has used its extensive experience to choose the components that give the most accurate and musical results.
