By: Tracking Angle

March 25th, 2025

Category:

Industry News

Nagra Launches "Compact Phono" Phono Preamplifier

now available in the U.S. for $4950

Nagra today announced the release of a new "Compact Phono" phono preamplifier now available in The United States for $4950. Here's the Word Doc that somehow didn't make it into our "in-box":

Romanel, Switzerland – 25th March 2025 —Perpetuating a long legacy of excellence in phono stages since the Nagra PL-P, the new Nagra Compact Phono offers the greater part of its predecessors’ quality and performance in a compact and elegant housing. The signal path has been simplified to the extreme to offer the quintessence of RIAA correction for the best MC cartridges.

Phono reproduction was at the heart of our very first Hi-Fi product, the Nagra PL-P.

Inspired by the legendary microphone preamplifier in the Nagra IV-S reel-to-reel tape recorder, the phono section of the PL-P received accolades from around the world.

Since then, the phono section of the PL-P has been reincarnated several times with the Nagra VPS, the BPS, the Classic Phono and recently the HD Phono. While they use different technologies and components, they are faithful to the original design, centred around a Nagra-made, step-up transformer.

The latest iteration is the Compact Phono. Housed in the same chassis as the Streamer, its solid construction protects it from unwanted vibrations. No compromises in sound quality were made to enable it to fit in the compact chassis. However, we have simplified the different settings and shortened the signal paths as much as possible. As a result, the Compact Phono offers amazing performance for a fraction of the cost of its competitors.

The Compact Phono features:

- Vibration-controlled housing, machined from a solid billet of aluminum

- MC input on 10 dB step-up transformer (same as Nagra VPS)

- Selected transistors operating in class A

- All discrete-component topology

- Dual-mono layout

- Selectable gain of 62 / 47.5 dB

- RIAA curve

- 100 Ohm load (additional loads available from Nagra dealers)

- External 12 V DC power supply

- Ultra-high rejection ratio regulators coupled with dual-stage filter on internal power supply

The Compact Phono can be further upgraded to achieve even greater performance using the Nagra MPS or Classic PSU power supplies. In this case, a Lemo to DC cable is required.

To minimize vibration, it can also rest on a VFS or on its own Compact VFS, currently under development.

The Nagra Turntable and cartridges gave us a new benchmark to design the Nagra HD Phono and now the Compact Phono.

Whilst its size and price, for a Nagra product, may mislead you, this is a very ambitious unit and it is fully worthy of the Nagra logo engraved on its front.

Specifications:

Frequency response 20 – 50 kHz +/- 1 dB (withing RIAA curve)

Signal to noise ratio* > 80 dB

THD+N < 0.1 % with lab power supply

Crosstalk* > 85 dB

Output impedance* < 10 Ω

Weight and dimensions 1.9 kg (4.1 lb.) 185 x 166 x 41 mm / 7.2 x 6.5 x 1.6 inches

* Specs on 47.5 dB gain position

Comments

2025-03-26 06:15:07 PM

Jim Shue wrote:

Nagra is delusional imo. $5K for that? Press Release not even using real photos but renderings. For $1K-$2K more I can get the MoFi MasterPhono or the Rega AURA MC Phono Stages, both very positively reviewed here on TA and both in a different league feature and build quality wise. For less $$ the Rega Aria or the Zesto Audio Spirit tube phono stage are also awesome choices. Plus at least a half dozen other killer phono stages from $1K to $5K.
- 2025-03-26 08:03:30 PM
  
  Rene Laflamme wrote:
  
  Hi M.Shue, I invite you to try first. Just the input transformer are among the best you can find and it is the first 10 dB of gain of the 3x stage gain. The small solid block of aluminum with all transistors without Op-Amp and the external PSU make a very direct sound with no resonance. The chassis of a Phono stage is very sensitive with 62 dB of gain. We compare to Phono stage to many other brands at 2 to 4 time the price during the R&D and the Neve style design of the IV-S microphone preamp make more presence, dramatic bass energy and deep soundstage that is rare to find in other design because many phono stage have to many capacitors in the signal path. Rene laflamme Nagra Audio
  - 2025-03-27 03:00:23 PM
    
    Jeff 'Glotz' Glotzer wrote:
    
    I trust Rene. Nagra Audio is legendary! Mr. Shue needs to hear through the unit before summarily dismissing it. Anything less is folly.
    
    The same holds true for the rest of the trolls here. People with this kind of money aren't concerned with saving ANY money, sorry. Oh, Nagra also makes $30,000 phono stages as well. You pay, you get- legendary Swiss engineering.
    - 2025-03-27 05:14:18 PM
      
      Zaphod wrote:
      
      I hope that slur was not aimed at me because I was just trying to be witty, but either I failed completely or some individuals have no sense of humour.
      
      *Slur: 2) a disparaging remark or a slight: quick to take offence at a slur; 3) a blot or stain, as upon reputation: a slur on his good name.
      - 2025-03-27 05:51:49 PM
        
        Jim Shue wrote:
        
        Mr. Laflamme did not address my calling out the images as renders. As for the rest of his world salad reply and appeal to authority fallacies. I understand English may not be his primary language but it does bring up further questions.
        
        What kind of 12V DC power supply comes with this $5K USD phono stage?
        
        Wall Wart? SMPS? Linear?
        
        Press release states you can upgrade the external power supply " The Compact Phono can be further upgraded to achieve even greater performance using the Nagra MPS or Classic PSU power supplies. In this case, a Lemo to DC cable is required. "
        
        Sounds like a lot more money is needed ;-)
        
        Nagra also states " - Vibration-controlled housing, machined from a solid billet of aluminum "
        
        Then Nagra states " To minimize vibration, it can also rest on a VFS or on its own Compact VFS, currently under development."
        
        Begs the question - why is an isolation platform even needed if the housing is so good?
        
        Cost/performance for this VFS platform versus an IsoAcoustics ZaZen platform ($199)or a one inch piece of solid maple?
        
        VERSUS
        
        MoFi MasterPhono - $5995 - WAY more useful features and flexibility - designed by Peter Madnick - built in linear power supply - excellent reviews (including from Fremer here on TA) across the board.....for only $1045 more.
        
        (I do not own this phono stage - just showcasing one example)
        
        Many companies in High End Audio do a poor job of product marketing and positioning their offerings versus their competitors. This Press Release showcases these faults. I hope Nagra can do better in the future.
- 2025-03-30 02:09:04 PM
  
  bwb wrote:
  
  your concerns are ridiculous imo, clearly "illustrated" by pointing out this press release did not use photos. Really? That is a problem? Seems to me you are just looking for an argument. The path you have taken with your criticisms could be taken with any unit concerning price and features.
  
  Bottom line is ... does it do what you need it to do and how does it sound? Features and all the rest be damned. If this unit fits your needs and your pocketbook and delivers the sound you want then you have found the perfect unit FOR YOU. Personally, I don't want a box that is loaded with features I don't need. It just adds to the cost and possibly degrades the sound.
  
  My phono stage costs $19,000 with one MM input and one output. It fits my needs perfectly and I am thrilled with it because it sounds sublime. If this unit sounds as good then I would be $14,000 ahead. I may try one.
2025-03-26 10:37:58 PM

Zaphod wrote:

Jim, do not look at this as spending $5K, rather look at it as saving $80K! Just buy the Nagra instead of the HSE Swiss Masterline 7.
2025-03-27 11:56:19 AM

cracking resonance wrote:

I like to see this offer, but I wonder what the power supply adds to the cost. I see 15K for the PSU and 5K for the phono-pre. Hmmm, smells like the tuna jumped out of the can.
- 2025-03-30 02:21:19 PM
  
  bwb wrote:
  
  If the $15K power supply elevates it to compete with other $20K phono stages then that is money well spent.
  
  The power supply for a device is not an afterthought, it is the heart and soul of the unit. If this was a $20K phono stage in one box and $15k of the cost was based on the power supply inside, as it might well be, you wouldn't think twice about it as you wouldn't be aware of it.. CH Precision sells a $30K stage and offers an outboard $17K supply. Those complaining here about the Nagra must be aghast at what CH is selling. In any case, complaining about the cost of things in a hobby where EVERYTHING can be criticized over the price is a fools game.