Phonostages — Remton audio VLCR

The VLCR is a tube phono stage from Remton Audio, a small Czech manufacturer founded in 2008 that specialises almost exclusively in phono preamplifiers. It belongs to Remton's range of LCR designs, in which the RIAA equalisation is performed by a passive network built from inductors, capacitors and resistors, and it is the basic single-input version for moving-magnet and other high-output cartridges.

Key specs that matter

The VLCR has one single-ended RCA input with 42dB of gain, and input impedance adjustable from 17 kilohms to 100 kilohms. Output impedance is 250 ohms. Amplification is by vacuum tubes without negative feedback, and connectors are gold-plated. The chassis measures 386 x 295 x 85mm and weighs 8kg.

Engineering and use context

A phono stage must reverse the RIAA curve applied when records are cut, which cuts bass and boosts treble. Most phono stages do this with resistor-capacitor networks placed in a feedback loop around an amplifying stage, so the correction depends on feedback. Remton instead uses an LCR network - the signal passes through precision coils as well as capacitors and resistors in a passive filter between gain stages, with no feedback loop involved. This removes the distortion that feedback-based equalisation can introduce, at the cost of expensive, carefully wound inductors, which is why LCR designs are rare and usually found in far more costly phono stages. Because the equalisation network absorbs signal level, the tube stages on either side must provide enough gain and low enough source impedance to drive it accurately. Running the tubes without global negative feedback means their linearity depends on the circuit design and operating points rather than on correction. The adjustable input impedance lets the owner set the load a cartridge sees; moving-magnet cartridges typically need 47 kilohms, while some moving-iron and high-output moving-coil types prefer other values. Remton's philosophy is that each low-output moving-coil cartridge has its own optimum step-up transformer, so the basic VLCR leaves out built-in MC step-ups and relies on an external transformer chosen by the owner for low-output MC cartridges.

Pairing

The VLCR suits moving-magnet, moving-iron and high-output moving-coil cartridges directly. Its output stage can feed any line input of a preamplifier or integrated amplifier over normal interconnect lengths.

Alternatives

Remton Audio's own VLCR MK2 adds a second input and built-in MC gain settings to the same LCR design.