Phonostages — Clearaudio BALANCE V2

The BALANCE V2 is a phono preamplifier from Clearaudio, built with balanced connectivity and switchable MM/MC impedance. Clearaudio is best known for turntables and tonearms, and this phono stage represents the brand's more developed electronics offering, adding balanced connectivity over the more basic BASIC V2 elsewhere in the range.

Position in line

It sits above the BASIC V2 in Clearaudio's phono stage range, offering balanced XLR connectivity the more basic model lacks. This positioning above the BASIC V2 confirms the Balance V2 serves buyers whose system already favours balanced connections throughout, willing to pay a premium for that specific connectivity advantage.

Key specs that matter

One balanced and one single-ended input are provided. MM/MC voltage input impedance is switchable between 500 ohms for moving-coil and 47,000 ohms for moving-magnet cartridges. Output impedance is 150 ohms via XLR and 75 ohms via RCA. Distortion is under 0.001%. The unit ships as two chassis at 2.3 kg for the phono stage and 1.4 kg for the separate power supply.

Sound and use context

Expect a clean, low-distortion presentation with the balanced connectivity offering a genuine advantage for a system built around balanced connections throughout - the separate power supply chassis here, mirroring the approach used across much of Clearaudio's higher-tier electronics, should help isolate noise from the sensitive phono circuitry.

Pairing

The 500 ohm MC and 47,000 ohm MM switching covers most cartridges directly without an external step-up transformer, a genuinely practical convenience regardless of the balanced connectivity's added benefit.

Alternatives

The BASIC V2 sits below this model in Clearaudio's phono range without balanced connectivity, worth considering instead if the rest of the system does not already favour balanced connections and a lower price is preferred. A dealer demonstration with the specific cartridge already owned remains the most reliable way to judge whether the balanced connectivity here offers a genuine improvement over the more basic single-ended BASIC V2. A dedicated ground connection between turntable and this unit remains essential for hum-free operation regardless of which cartridge is ultimately paired with it. Overall this remains a genuinely capable choice for a system already committed to balanced connections. A dealer visit remains the simplest way to compare current pricing between the Balance V2 and BASIC V2.