Analog Source of 2019
Sutherland Engineering Little Loco phono preamplifier ($3800; reviewed by Brian Damkroger, October 2019, Vol.42 No.10 Review)
Although phono preamps that work on the current-amplification (as opposed to voltage-amplification) principle still account for a small minority of the market, that technology took a big step forward in 2019 with the Sutherland Engineering Little Loco, itself a less expensive version of the company's recent Phono Loco. The Little Loco is designed for moving-coil cartridges only, and even then not every make or model of cartridge will do its best with this or any other current-amplification preamp. But at its best in Brian Damkroger's system, the "trivially easy to use" Little Loco provided "a completely new amount and level of detail"—and on the test bench it coaxed JA into declaring, "This is a very linear circuit." And besides, who among us doesn't smile when a product whose name contains a synonym for batshit-crazy takes top honors in any category?
Notes on the Vote
You want runaway? I'll give you runaway: In this year's voting, no other analog source component came close to the Sutherland Little Loco, which earned four first-place votes. Second and third place were both ties, the former between the TechDAS Air Force V turntable and the Thales Statement tonearm, the latter between the Kuzma Stabi R and VPI Avenger Reference turntables. Finalists (in alphabetical order)
Channel D Lino C 2.0 phono preamplifier ($2499; reviewed by Michael Fremer, June 2019, Vol.42 No.6)
Kuzma Stabi R turntable ($8595 and up w/o tonearm; reviewed by Ken Micallef, July 2019, Vol.42 No.7 Review)
TechDAS Air Force V turntable ($19,500 w/o tonearm; reviewed by Ken Micallef, September 2019, Vol.42 No.9)
Thales Statement tonearm ($21,090; reviewed by Michael Fremer, May 2019, Vol.42 No.5)
VPI Avenger Reference turntable ($20,500 w/o tonearm; reviewed by Michael Fremer, December 2018, Vol.41 No.12)
Although phono preamps that work on the current-amplification (as opposed to voltage-amplification) principle still account for a small minority of the market, that technology took a big step forward in 2019 with the Sutherland Engineering Little Loco, itself a less expensive version of the company's recent Phono Loco. The Little Loco is designed for moving-coil cartridges only, and even then not every make or model of cartridge will do its best with this or any other current-amplification preamp. But at its best in Brian Damkroger's system, the "trivially easy to use" Little Loco provided "a completely new amount and level of detail"—and on the test bench it coaxed JA into declaring, "This is a very linear circuit." And besides, who among us doesn't smile when a product whose name contains a synonym for batshit-crazy takes top honors in any category?
Notes on the VoteYou want runaway? I'll give you runaway: In this year's voting, no other analog source component came close to the Sutherland Little Loco, which earned four first-place votes. Second and third place were both ties, the former between the TechDAS Air Force V turntable and the Thales Statement tonearm, the latter between the Kuzma Stabi R and VPI Avenger Reference turntables. Finalists (in alphabetical order)
Channel D Lino C 2.0 phono preamplifier ($2499; reviewed by Michael Fremer, June 2019, Vol.42 No.6)
Kuzma Stabi R turntable ($8595 and up w/o tonearm; reviewed by Ken Micallef, July 2019, Vol.42 No.7 Review)
TechDAS Air Force V turntable ($19,500 w/o tonearm; reviewed by Ken Micallef, September 2019, Vol.42 No.9)
Thales Statement tonearm ($21,090; reviewed by Michael Fremer, May 2019, Vol.42 No.5)
VPI Avenger Reference turntable ($20,500 w/o tonearm; reviewed by Michael Fremer, December 2018, Vol.41 No.12)
