To me, quietness is a basic requirement for a high-end phono stage because it translates into a low noise floor when music is being played, which in turn results in a pitch black background, allowing the listener to distinguish between notes and instrument separation. There are numerous recordings where hum, noise or buzz will distract from the melody and the tempo of the music. The “Overture” in Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a prime example of a recording that requires an absolutely pitch black background. Although unassociated with the performance of the play, the Overture is a romantic composition which prepares the listener for the eventual grand opening of the performance. The EMI recording with Andre Previn conducting the London Symphony Orchestra [ASD 3377] is one of my favourite renditions of this performance. The faint fluttering of the strings in the opening sequence is not loud, but has an intensity which prepares the listener for the grand opening. A phono stage with a pitch black background allows every minute detail of the instrument to be presented so that it can capture the emotion of the moment. Any type of hum, buzzing or white noise generated by a noisy phono stage would be as distracting as a fly buzzing around a couple about to engage in their first kiss. The same can be said of the opening sequence in Ravel’s Bolero, again conducted by Andre Previn on EMI [ASD 3912], which requires utmost silence to building the atmospheric tension, setting the tone for the melody which repeats itself over and over again, but is orchestrated differently each time with greater intensity. I must admit, it was precisely this noise requirement that prevented me from keeping some very fine tube phono stages, such as the Manley Steelhead or the Aesthestix Rhea. The only tube phono stage that met my noise requirement was the Kondo M7, but even this is barely acceptable in terms of noise level.
But “Quietness,” one may suggest, is not difficult to achieve in solid-state phono stages, and I have tried many of them in my system. However, what sets the Canofer-S apart from the rest is its ability to maintain a fine balance between delivering the most minute details without ever sounding bright, edgy, grainy or forward, which is typical of many solid-state units.
With the right cartridge/phono stage combination, music is rendered with a silky smoothness on the top-end, combined with relaxed sense of fluidness without ever sacrificing dynamic range when explosive dynamism is called for. If there are details embedded in a recording, the Canofer-S will extract them. I can recall many high quality recordings such as Delibes’ Sylvia on DECCA [SXL6635/6], or Ibert’s Escales (Ports of Call) on Mercury [SR90313], where a lesser phono stage would emerge as the bottleneck of the system either by muddling through complex passages, or by sacrificing low-level details. Not so for the Canofer-S, it always kept up with the best of phono cartridges, while keeping the music performance intact by preserving every minute detail embedded in the recording.
According to Christoph, one of the main reasons the Canofer-S has such high resolution is his commitment to using as few gain stages in the circuit as possible. In order to achieve 60 dB of gain, many phono stages require the use of two, or sometimes three gain stages. But with every added gain stage, one injects more distortion into the signal path which some designers will address by introducing negative feedback into the circuitry. The Canofer-S has the rare ability to deliver 60 dB of gain utilizing a single gain stage, while delivering only 0.001% distortion at 100Hz, 1kHz, and 20kHz at 200mv, all without the use of negative feedback. Combine this with Christoph’s ingenious “mid-air” suspended design for the internal components, the result is a phono preamp with some of the lowest distortion figures on the market.
The fact that the Canofer-S is able to achieve 60 dB with a single gain stage is quite an accomplishment, but at the same time the lack of a second gain stage can be a challenge for some cartridges. Whether or not the Canofer-S will provide enough gain for one’s setup will depend on the output of the cartridge, as well as the input impedance of the preamp. With 60 dB of gain, the Canofer-S is sitting right at the border line so some combinations may run into the issue with the lack of gain. I wish I could tell you a specific number, but unfortunately with analog, you never know until you try.
As with every phono stage in the market, the Canofer-S works better with some cartridges than others. The advantage of having multiple cartridges on hand is that it allows me to become acquainted with the sonic characteristic of the unit, and learn how it changes with a different cartridge. It is not a matter of one cartridge being better than the other, but a matter of finding the right sonic combination.
Trying different cartridges with the Canofer-S
Turntable # 1: JC Verdier La Plantine Vintage & Teres Reference Motor
Turntable # 2: TW Raven AC
Tonearm No. 1: Reed 2P with Ebony Armwand
Tonearm No. 2: DaVinci Grandezza with Ebony Armwand
Tonearm No. 3: Durand Talea
Tonearm No. 4: Schroeder Reference 12`with Ebony Armwand
Cartridge No.1: My Sonic Lab Ultra Eminent BC
Cartridge No.2: Kondo IO-M
Cartridge No.3: Clearaudio Goldfinger
Cartridge No.4: Lyra Olympos
Cartridge No.5: ZYX Universe
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