$4,950 is a lot of money for a phono pre-amplifier, but it was rather surprising to see one this “affordable” from Nagra announced today. 99.9% of the population have never had the opportunity to listen to any Nagra equipment and that’s a genuine pity because they do make some of the best high-end audio equipment in the world, although we think charging $87,500 for the HD Phono is slightly insane. The Nagra Compact Phono is designed to provide its trademark performance in a more compact and elegant housing; the signal path has been simplified to the extreme to offer precise RIAA correction for the best MC cartridges.
A little history might be in order to understand this product within the context of the Nagra ecosystem and how it might compare to other high-end phono pre-amplifiers in the $5,000 range.
Nagra has been obsessed with getting the best out of turntables and cartridges, starting with the now-discontinued Nagra PL-P Battery operated tube pre-amplifier with phono stage. Inspired by the legendary microphone preamplifier in the Nagra IV-S reel-to-reel tape recorder, the phono section of the PL-P was well-received.
The phono section of the PL-P has been reincarnated several times over the years through the Nagra VPS vacuum tube phono preamp, the BPS, the Classic Phono (released in 2020), and recently, the HD Phono (released in 2023). While they use different technologies and components, they are faithful to the original design, centred around a Nagra-made, step-up transformer.
The latest phono stage variation is the Compact Phono. Although a greatly stripped down model in relation to the HD Phono, it is housed in the same chassis as the Nagra Streamer. The solid construction protects it from unwanted vibrations and every effort has been made to deliver excellent sound quality below $5,000 USD.
The Nagra Compact Phono does not offer the same degree of cartridge loading flexibility as its much more expensive sibling or its rather elaborate construction; It is dual-mono, pure Class A with 100% tube stages. In addition, it incorporates remote control cartridge load adjustability from 5 to 390 Ohms, with steps as fine as 5 Ohms for smaller values.
The HD Phono can handle three phono cartridges (2 x MC, 1 x MM), includes transformers manufactured from Cobalt, and the power supply’s chassis is larger than some power amplifiers — we’re talking about a state-of-the-art phono preamp designed for the best turntables and phono cartridges in the world.
The Compact Phono is never approaching that level of build quality or performance.
But would you spend $4,950 for a stripped down version of the Nagra sound? Some audiophiles might actually do that if it’s competitive with the best alternatives from Luxman, Musical Fidelity, E.A.T, EAR, MOON by Simaudio, or Zesto.
The Purpose of an External Phono Stage (Preamp)
Depending on the brand/model of your turntable, it may provide one or more connection options:
Traditional Phono with Ground Connection – This connection requires that the amplifier you connect to the turntable needs to have a dedicated phono connection supported by a built-in phono stage.
RCA Line Outputs – This means that the turntable has a built-in phono preamp and can be connected to any analog RCA input provided on an amplifier or receiver.
USB Output – This allows the turntable to be connected to a PC or Laptop. This enables users to rip vinyl records via a PC or Laptop to a digital format such as a USB flash drive or CD.
If your turntable does not have a built-in phono preamp and your amp or receiver doesn’t have a dedicated phono input, an external phono preamp will be required between your amp/receiver and the turntable in order to use it.
In addition, even if your amp/receiver has a phono input, an external phono preamp will usually do a better job than an amplifier or receiver’s internal phono stage, especially if the external phono preamp is compatible with both MC (Moving Coil) and MM (Moving Magnet) cartridges.
Features:
- Vibration-controlled housing, machined from a solid billet of aluminum. To minimize vibration further, the Compact Phono can also rest on a Nagra VFS or on its own Compact VFS, currently under development.
- MC input on 10 dB step-up transformer (same as the Nagra VPS)
- Selected transistors operating in class A
- All discrete-component topology
- Dual-Mono layout
- Selectable gain of 62/47.5 dB
- RIAA Equalization
- 100 Ohm load (additional loads available from Nagra dealers)
- External 12 V DC power supply
- Ultra-high rejection ratio regulators coupled with dual-stage filters on internal power supply
The Compact Phono has also been upgraded to achieve greater performance when using the Nagra MPS or Classic PSU power supplies. In this case, a Lemo to DC cable is required.
Specifications
| Nagra Model | Compact Phono Stage |
| Product Type | Phono Preamp |
| Price | $4,950 (US) |
| Inputs | 1 x RCA In (L/R pair) |
| Outputs | 1 x RCA out (L/R pair) |
| Frequency Response | 20 – 50 kHz +/- 1 dB (within RIAA curve) |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio | > 80 dB |
| THD+N | < 0.1 % with lab power supply |
| Crosstalk (47.5 dB gain position) | > 85 dB |
| Output Impedance (47.5 dB gain position) | < 10 Ω |
| Dimensions | 185 x 166 x 41 mm 7.2 x 6.5 x 1.6 inches |
| Weight | 1.9 kg (4.1 lb.) |
The Bottom Line
There is a certain type of audiophile who has invested a lot of money into their vinyl playback rig that has always coveted something like a Nagra phono pre-amplifier because it does have a well-earned reputation for superb sonic performance. The issue is that most people can’t afford to spend that level of money on one, so $5,000 might seem like a bargain.
There are a growing number of high-end options priced between $5,000 and $10,000 that are excellent components, but unless you have the type of system that can benefit from them – it’s a pointless expenditure. Spending that money on a record collection would make a lot more sense.
However, you don’t have to spend $85,000 or even $5,000 to get a phono preamp that can provide a satisfying listening result unless you have money to burn. Check out our Editor’s Choice for several suggestions.
Price & Availability
The Nagra Compact Phono Stage is available now for $4,950 USD from Nagra dealers.
Related Reading
- Michell’s Apollo Phono Stage Wants to Boost the Performance of Your Turntable and Cartridge
- Muarah MU-2 Phono Preamplifier: The Audiophile System Builder
- Grimm Audio’s PW1 Phono Preamp Will Appeal to Vinyl Listeners With Very Specific Cartridge Needs
- Musical Fidelity’s M8x Vinyl is the Swiss Army Knife of Reference Phono Preamplifiers
Anton
March 27, 2025 at 5:18 pm
The last few paragraphs sum it up perfectly.
The money is better spent on music.
$87,500 for a phono preamp is not just insane — it’s a complete waste of money.
One could build a beautiful kitchen with the best appliances for that amount of money. Or send a kid to college.
Nagra makes very good equipment; I’ve heard they’re amplifiers at local dealers in California, but spending more than $4,950 on this tiny box raises some eyebrows.
Eric Lubow
April 1, 2025 at 9:35 pm
@ Anton $87,500 might cover one year at many colleges these days! But I agree with your main premise.