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Vertere has introduced the CALON, its first high-end dual-mono phono preamplifier with a design: “to ensure that all the performance gains enabled by recent improvements in Vertere Record players, especially the new XtraX cartridge, SG-II PTA HB and Reference tonearms, are not lost”.

The CALON’s case is machined from non-magnetic (Austenitic) stainless steel, which the company claims brings a high level of shielding without the ferromagnetic eddy current and field hysteresis problems that iron or steel can bring. The knobs are polished stainless steel, while the gain structure has been designed “to deliver the best transparency, detail resolution and dynamics from any cartridge”.

The cartridge input first enters a gain stage with user-selectable gain (default, +10dB, +20dB). Then, it is subjected to an RIAA ‘filter’ where the HF section is passive and the LF active. After this is another user-selectable gain stage (0dB, +2dB, +4dB, +6dB, +8db) leading to the output RCAs and the balanced output line driver stage. Both outputs are on (except when muted), but Vertere suggests that connecting and using one at a time is best.

The CALON includes a switchable subsonic filter to reduce the wasted energy and headroom caused by (subsonic) noise below normal audibility, which some turntable/arm/cartridges generate in excess. The circuit is linear phase and has what the company is claiming to be: “a practically unmeasurable effect above 20Hz”. In addition, the output of CALON can be 180° phase inverted for those rare records recorded/mastered with incorrect absolute phase.

CALON is user-configurable for most moving-magnet and moving-coil cartridges available. The front panel knobs allow the choice of nine input impedances and nine options of capacitance together with 15 choices of gain. The power switch has three options: Power off, Power on but output muted and Power on output on.

The audio circuits with their respective power supplies are on two identical four-layer, gold-plated circuit boards allowing: “ideal grounding and ground planes as shields within the board itself”. It provides control of the ground and power impedances to optimise signal path and ground path flow. Populated with a choice of through hole and surface mount devices using whichever is optimum for the circuit requirement, the active devices are laser-precision-trimmed high-end integrated circuits designed to deliver virtually identical performance statically and dynamically under differing signal levels and temperatures.

There are two toroidal transformers, one supplying low-voltage AC to the L&R audio boards and one supplying low-voltage AC to the logic and relay board. AC is supplied to the circuits so rectification, storage and regulation can be as close as possible to the required circuits. An iron shield ‘hides’ the transformers electromagnetically to maximise the overall signal-to-noise ratio.

The CALON measures 412 x 88 x 290mm (including switches and feet, WxHxD), weighs 7kg and comes in a choice of either silver or black finishes.

Available to buy now for £15,500, you can find out more about the Vertere CALON here.