Phonostages — Michell Engineering Apollo

The Apollo is a two-box phono preamplifier from Michell Engineering, built with a separate Muse power supply keeping sensitive audio circuitry isolated from transformer-related noise. Michell's phono stage lineage stretches back over 30 years to the original Michell Iso, designed for the brand by Tom Evans and Graham Fowler of Trichord fame, and the Apollo represents Michell's serious return to standalone electronics after a long gap focused mainly on turntable speed control.

Key specs that matter

Gold-plated unbalanced RCA connectors handle both input and output. Gain ranges from 40dB to a high 73dB for very low-output moving-coil cartridges, with input impedance covering 33 ohms to 47k ohms - the latter figure suited to moving-magnet cartridges, the other four settings for moving-coil designs - accessible via hidden but easily reached dip switches for precise cartridge matching. Capacitance is fixed at 100pF, suiting the vast majority of cartridges. Compatible cartridge output ranges from 0.05mV to 5.0mV. The Class A preamplifier stages borrow technology typically used in professional microphone amplifiers, feeding a finely tuned passive RIAA equalisation circuit specifically chosen to preserve fidelity, with every stage monitored and controlled by feedback circuits for consistent performance. Both Apollo and Muse enclosures are machined from solid aluminium billets in a two-part clam-shell design acting as a genuine Faraday cage against RF interference. The Muse power supply uses a high-quality low-noise toroidal transformer with advanced capacitance multiplier technology and precision voltage regulators, connected to Apollo via a custom UK-made cable using silver-plated OFC copper conductors, FEP insulation and high-density tinned copper shielding.

Sound and use context

Expect a captivatingly smooth and fluid sound with razor-sharp spatial imaging and lifelike voices - reviewers specifically describe an enormous three-dimensional soundstage with pinpoint imaging, almost as though voice and instruments float in space, alongside an exceptionally low noise floor that can make the unit seem disconnected until music actually plays.

Pairing

The dip-switch adjustable gain and impedance settings cover virtually any moving-magnet or moving-coil cartridge directly, and the separate Muse power supply's isolation benefits the overall system regardless of which specific cartridge is fitted.

Alternatives

Michell's broader turntable and tonearm catalogue forms a natural partner for a system built around this phono stage, worth pairing together for a coherently engineered British analogue front end given the considerable investment this Apollo and Muse combination represents.