Further information & reviews
It's more than just an upgrade of the original legendary Gram
Amp 2 phono preamplifier. It's a "giant killer" phono
preamplifier which can do more with a moving magnet cartridge
than many a high-end phono preamplifier can do with a moving coil.
But how?
Inside the new silver anodised aluminium Gram Amp 2 Special Edition
is the original circuit which is the result of years of phono
preamplifier development. Development which pulls much, much more
out of your vinyl than you ever thought possible, not only at
its price but at many times more.
The design exploits Graham Slee's "Phase Integrity"
investigations, using high speed amplifiers inside fast equalisation
networks, and incorporates "Q-busting" inputs. All of
which allows more music to reach the outputs, and less of the
annoying vinyl noise and distortions. Virtually all high output
cartridges (2-10mV) will deliver a blistering performance.
It's a phono preamplifier which will deliver real deep bass slam,
extreme high frequency energy, unbelievable presence, fluidity,
not only in the midrange, but across the entire audio spectrum,
subtlety, transparency, delicacy and excellent timing. And if
the source material does all this at the same time, the Gram Amp
2 Special Edition phono preamplifier WILL do all this at the same
time too.
Only a phono preamplifier this good will earn recommendations
such as these: -
>Editors Choice - Best Buy phono preamplifier - The Absolute
Sound - Issue 144 October/November 2003
Recommended system component Stereophile
October 2002
Recommended Best Buy The Absolute Sound Oct/Nov
2002 issue #138
Recommended Best Buy The Absolute Sound Dec 2002/Jan2003
issue #139
Recommended system component Stereophile April 2003
Recommended system component Stereophile October
2003
Editors Choice Best Buy The Absolute Sound Oct/Nov
2003 issue #144
Online reviews >> Enjoy The Music online |
TNT-Audio online
"...the music the Gram Amp 2 SE produced was
very well tonally balanced. It was easy to listen to but also imparted
excitement without edginess. Amazingly, when partnered with quite
expensive frontends and 'speakers, the Gram SE was not left wanting,
it just played highly enjoyable music."
Steve Davey, TNT-Audio.com, June 1, 2002
"...they’ll be amazed by its sound...the
Gram delivered genuine solidity in the mid-band and mid-bass. It
was quiet, and free from the thinness, edge, and grain you usually
get at this price..."
"...I wouldn't spend the difference between the Gram and the
Dino if I were going to use it solely for MM amplification... I'd
be paying for stages I wouldn't be using, and I wouldn't enjoy the
sound over extended listening even with the Dino+ power supply option..."
Michael Fremer, Analog Corner, Stereophile, June 2002
"...all the earmarks of a giant killer...the
more you listen to this thing on its own, the more you’ll
discover that you can play it for hours without fatigue...the presentation
had a rare top to bottom cohesiveness, with a tonal balance unusually
rich, lush, and, well, beautiful...It’s love at first sound
between the Gram Amp and vocalists, while violins are marvellously
silken..."
Paul Seydor, Absolute Analog, The Absolute Sound, Feb/Mar 2002
"...a startling little machine. In the price
versus quality sweepstakes, it is a winner in every way that counts:
musicality, definition, preservation of instrumental and human voice
timbre, speed, fullness of sound and, finally, price..."
Neil Walker, EnjoyTheMusic.com, Issue 0402
All excerpts reproduced with permission
Customer Testimonial
Hi Graham
My Gram Amp 2 SE has well and truly settled in now (took about
10 days to properly come on song) and I can honestly say that
I have rarely heard vinyl records sound so satisfying and musical
as I do now (and when I have it is with very expensive and esoteric
kit from the likes of Avid/Mitchell/Well Tempered/Lyra/SME etc.).
My own turntable is a well set-up Systemdek IIX/ OL modded RB250
(self fitted) c/w Incognito rewire dragging a DNM Reson cartridge
through the groove - not as exotic as the earlier mentioned but
all a good synergistic match and very capable of extracting information
from my records (few of which are "audiophile" pressings).
The Gram Amp really has been the icing on the cake for me - it
is a really well designed product which favours no particular
musical stylings (I do not subscribe to the notion that certain
kit is good for reproducing certain types of music - the gear
is either up to the job or not) and plays all very even handedly
(ie with gusto when required, delicacy when that is required,
etc.)
Thanks for designing and making such an ear opening product.
I am still grinning at the music I am hearing !
Regards, Chris Firth, chris@rakefoot.fsnet.co.uk
Will it work in my system? Compatibility check
cartridge output |
2mV |
3mV |
4mV |
5mV |
6mV |
7mV |
8mV |
amp/preamp line input* |
240mV or lower |
360mV or lower |
480mV or lower |
600mV or lower |
720mV or lower |
840mV or lower |
960mV or lower |
*Required to drive your amplifier to full output. Your volume control
may have to be set higher than when in use with CD because digital
equipment is very high output.
Power Supplies
The Gram Amp 2 Special Edition requires a nominal 24VDC and is
supplied with a suitable wall-plug type power supply. The voltage
indicated on the power supply will be in the range 18-24VDC. This
can be upgraded to the Gram PSU1
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