Phonostages — Perreaux VP3

The VP3 is a stand-alone MM and MC phono stage within the Audiant line from Perreaux of New Zealand. It accepts two turntables at once and sends its signal out through balanced and unbalanced connections, each with its own buffer stage, so the two outputs work simultaneously.

Key specs that matter

The two inputs are unbalanced RCA and selectable from the front. MM gain can be set from 36 dB to 48 dB and MC gain from 56 dB to 68 dB, matching cartridge outputs of 3.0 to 11.9 mV and 0.3 to 1.2 mV. MM loading runs from 1 kOhm to 47 kOhm with capacitance from 22 pF to 470 pF, and MC loading from 10 ohm to 47 kOhm at 47 pF. Input overload margin is 22 dB. Output impedance is 30 ohm balanced and 100 ohm unbalanced, rated output is 0.75 Vrms and maximum output reaches 10.3 Vrms. THD+N is 0.002% at 1 kHz at rated output and below 0.05% across 20 Hz to 20 kHz. RIAA accuracy is within 0.5 dB from 50 Hz to 20 kHz and the noise floor sits 87 dB below signal, unweighted. The case measures 431 mm wide, 277 mm deep and 67 mm high, and the unit weighs 7.5 kg.

Engineering and use context

MM and MC signals enter separate low noise input stages rather than sharing one circuit with switched gain. All settings are made with 36 mechanical DIP switches on the rear panel, covering seven loading positions, three gain positions, a mono mode and a choice between the normal RIAA curve and the IEC version, which adds a bass roll-off. The case is a full-width extruded aluminium monocoque, sandblasted and clear anodised. Power comes from a custom toroidal transformer that is fully shielded, followed by shunt voltage regulation and filtering. A 3.5 mm trigger input accepts 3 V to 12 V DC, so the VP3 can switch on together with an amplifier or preamplifier, and the mains fuse is a 0.5 A slow-blow type. The low height lets the unit fit on a crowded rack shelf, while the full-width case matches the footprint of standard-size components, and the unit can be hidden away once its switches have been set for a given cartridge.

Pairing

Its XLR output connects to any preamplifier or integrated amplifier fitted with balanced sockets, and the simultaneous RCA output can feed a second device such as a recorder. Anyone running two decks, or a single deck fitted with a second arm, can keep an MM and an MC cartridge connected permanently and switch between them.

Alternatives

The Perreaux Silhouette SXV2 is a second Perreaux phono preamplifier, part of the compact Silhouette series.