Фонокорректоры — Remton audio Balanced VLCR

The Balanced VLCR is the fully differential member of Remton Audio's VLCR family, built by the Czech phono specialist established in 2008. It doubles the passive LCR circuit of the single-ended VLCR so that each channel is carried in balanced form from the tonearm through the amplifying stages, and it is Remton's most elaborate take on the VLCR concept.

Key specs that matter

The Balanced VLCR has two balanced inputs and 42dB of gain, with input impedance adjustable from 17 kilohms to 100 kilohms and an output impedance of 250 ohms. RIAA equalisation is accurate to within +/-0.3dB. The circuit uses vacuum tubes without negative feedback and passive LCR equalisation. The chassis measures 386 x 295 x 85mm and weighs 16kg.

Engineering and use context

A phono cartridge is naturally a balanced source - its coil or magnet generator has two ends, neither of which needs to be grounded. A balanced phono stage keeps the two signal legs separate and amplifies the difference between them, so interference picked up equally along the tonearm cable, such as hum from nearby mains wiring, cancels out. This matters most at phono level, where the signal is only millivolts and any induced noise is amplified with the music. To be fully balanced, the Balanced VLCR needs a complete mirror-image circuit for each leg of each channel, including duplicated LCR equalisation networks built from precision inductors, capacitors and resistors. That duplication explains why it weighs 16kg against 8kg for the single-ended VLCR in the same size of chassis. As in all Remton LCR designs, the equalisation is passive and sits between the tube stages rather than inside a feedback loop, avoiding feedback-related distortion, and the tubes themselves operate without global negative feedback. The tight RIAA accuracy depends on precisely matched components in each network, and in a balanced design both halves must match each other as well. Two balanced inputs allow two tonearms wired for balanced output to be connected.

Pairing

The Balanced VLCR suits tonearms wired with balanced XLR or similar connections, and its gain directly serves MM and high-output MC pickups. Low-output MC designs require a separate transformer ahead of it, in line with Remton's preference for matching a transformer to each cartridge.

Alternatives

Remton Audio's own VLCR is the single-ended version with one input in a lighter chassis.