Allnic Audio • H-1202 Phono Stage

by Guy Lemcoe | January 31, 2020

© www.theaudiobeat.com

With the increasing resurgence of new vinyl LPs over the past several years and the fervent pursuit of quality used LPs by music lovers and audiophiles, the industry has responded with a wealth of new turntables, tonearms, cartridges, accessories and phono stages. All of this attention for a format that, not too long ago, had been called "dead" makes this vinyl lover’s head spin and manufacturers tool up. Allnic’s founder and designer Kang Su Park introduced the H-1202, an upgrade of the H-1201 phono stage. In a move to increase stability and lower the noise floor, Kang Su Park has replaced the H-1201’s semiconductor power supply with an all-tube one for the H-1202. It also shares the earlier model's rugged, no-nonsense look, making for a very impressive presence. Allnic Audio is no stranger to The Audio Beat readers. Since 2010, the brand has graced the pages of this site with five hardware and one cable review. The H-1202 represents Allnic’s entry-level phono stage, drawing upon information gleaned from the company's flagship model, the H-7000LCR ($15,900), and the statement H-8000DHT ($39,900).

The H-1202 arrived from Allnic's US distributor, Albert Porter, in a sturdy, corrugated shipping carton. It was enclosed in a heavy plastic bag and sandwiched between two pieces of molded Styrofoam. The power cord and instruction manual filled another plastic bag. I was surprised that the six tubes (four NOS Mullard E180CC/5965 twin triodes, two per channel, an EH 71233 regulator and a 5654W pentode) shipped already installed in their "chimneys" -- the glass tubes you see in pictures -- with no visible protection. Tube rolling and/or replacement is strongly discouraged, such maintenance to be performed by Allnic or the company's authorized representatives. As with other Allnic products, tube damping is accomplished with Allnic’s patented Absorb GEL technology, a method that prevents detrimental vibrations from reaching the tubes, preventing microphonic noise transmission. Total time between unpacking, setup and turn on was under 30 minutes. The H-1202 is identical in appearance to the H-1201 (except for two additional "chimneys," housing the voltage regulation tubes, two Permalloy-core MC transformers, covered step-up transformers and absence of carrying handles) and makes an impressive presence. Measuring 12 3/8"W x 9 1/8"D x 5 5/8"H and weighing just under ten pounds, the H-1202 fit easily on my equipment rack. Because it operates in pure class A and generates noticeable heat, I placed a small, silent, battery-powered fan behind it to dissipate the heat from the tubes.

The H-1202 offers only single-ended connections -- two pairs of inputs (MM & MC, each with its own screw-type grounding post) and a single pair of outputs. This arrangement allows for two turntables (one with a moving-coil cartridge, the other with a moving-magnet) to be connected at the same time. Selection can be made with the large, centrally located knob on the front panel, which can be switched from one to the other. Below that knob on the lower left is the soft-start power button (40-second delay) and, on the lower right, the mute button (which glows red when engaged, orange when not). On the top of each channel’s MC transformer (centered on the rear of the chassis) is a rotating control. This knob allows the user to select from four gain settings: +22dB, +26dB, +28dB and +32dB. Because the H-1202 has 40dB of native gain, there is 62dB, 66dB, 68dB and 72dB of gain available for MC cartridges. As I learned through the process of this review, the H-1202 has gobs of gain. The second set of markings on top of the transformers shows the impedance tied to the gain setting diagonal to it. Per the manual, ×13, ×20, ×26 and ×40, equate to 29, 69, 117 and 278 ohms, respectively. These impedance and gain interactions are not user adjustable -- you get whatever corresponds to chosen setting. MM gain and loading are fixed at 38dB and 47k ohms.

Because the H-1202 features inputs for both MM and MC cartridges, I wanted to test both options with cartridges I had spent some time with. For MC, I chose either my reliable Sumiko Talisman Sapphire S, with a relatively low .26mV output, or a vintage AudioQuest 1.1 with a medium output of 1.1mV. For MM, I chose my Dynavector DV-20X2 H, with over ten times the output of the Talisman, at 2.8mV. For the Talisman cartridge, I set the gain to +26dB, which corresponded to a load of 117 ohms. Gain for the AudioQuest cartridge was also set at +26dB. The Dynavector leads went into the MM jacks on the back of the unit, with the MC/MM switch on the front set to MM. This set gain to 38dB and the load to the customary 47k ohms. These settings provided more than enough gain for above-average listening levels, and I left them unchanged for the duration of the testing. The Talisman, AudioQuest and the Dynavector cartridges gave world-class performances, effortlessly involving me in the music. But each also gave uniquely different listening experiences -- the Talisman, as I expected, presenting a cooler, leaner, harder and more revealing presentation compared to the warmer, "fleshier," softer and slightly more opaque take of the Dynavector. I thoroughly enjoyed all three. However, the AudioQuest, incorporating the best characteristics of the others, was used for the greater part of the review period.

First up after installing the H-1202 in the system was one of the go-to LPs I often use when evaluating gear -- Ry Cooder’s ethereal soundtrack to the dark, 1984 Wim Wenders film Paris, Texas [Warner Bros 9 25270-1 E ]. Mastered by Bernie Grundman and pressed on quiet vinyl at Specialty, it is a study in atmosphere, tonal colors and space. Cooder’s bottleneck guitar and David Lindley’s and Jim Dickinson’s off-center effects are mesmerizing and compelling. The soundstage created by the engineers is large and palpable, lending even more mystery to the music.

With the needle drop on the first track, the H-1202 immersed me in that music. No corner of the stage was left in the dark, and the depth extended well beyond my front wall. Every nuance of the performance was unveiled with amazing detail, richness of timbre and truthful scale. When called for, dynamics were explosive and lightning fast. The richness of the all-tube H-1202 lent considerable body to the notes flying off the guitar’s fingerboard, the unusual percussive sounds and the vocals (especially). My current reference phono stage lacked the tonal finesse and image specificity of the Allnic on this music. When finished listening, I returned the album to the shelves with an increased respect for Ry Cooder’s compositional and playing skills and, due to the fine sound of the H-1202, a burning desire to spin more records.

Continuing with guitarists, I grabbed the first of Joe Pass’s exceptional solo recordings for Pablo, 1974’s Virtuoso [Pablo 2310 708]. This up-close-and-personal recording features the New Jersey-born guitarist in a program of well-known popular and jazz standards. Playing either an acoustic guitar or his arch-top Gibson ES175D, Pass displays dazzling finger work and the rhythmic pulse of his thumb. both of which make it hard to believe only one person is responsible for the amazing music being pulled from the fingerboard. Unlike my reference phono stage, the Allnic laid bare the minutest detail of each performance, bringing me closer to the man and his music. Turning to plucked and strummed instruments with over six times the strings, I pulled out some Paul O’Dette, who gives a recital of pieces for lute and chitarrone by Baroque-era composer Giovanni Kapsberger [Harmonia Mundi HMU 70200]. Engineered by Wilson Audio's Peter McGrath, this recording faithfully captures the amazing sound of the 19-course (string) chitarrone and more delicate 10-course lute. This 1990 release is one of my favorites, as it brings the deep, sonorous bass notes of the chitarrone into the listening room, in contrast to the wiry, plucked gut strings of the lute. With its utter lack of noise, so important for recordings of gentle music, truth of timbre and convincing rendering of scale, the H-1202 was instrumental in ensuring maximum enjoyment of this instrumental music.

Being a trumpet player, I have always enjoyed the excitement and energy of big bands, especially those featuring amazing trumpet sections. The late Stan Kenton led such a band. An LP I often turn to for pleasure and to use in judging a system's ability to re-create the ambience of a venue is Kenton’s 1959 Kenton Live From the Las Vegas Tropicana [Capitol ST 1460]. As soon as the band leader takes the mike and begins speaking, I'm immersed in the Tropicana’s Blue Room amid an ambience so realistic and present I can inhale the cigarette smoke and smell the stale perfume. With its almost organic ability to elicit emotion, the Allnic H-1202 held back nothing on this album. For example, when trumpeter Bud Brisbois nails a double G with such authority and power at the end of opener, "Artistry in Rhythm," it elicits an audible response from the audience, and raises hairs on the back of my neck each time I hear it, proving the H-1202's ability to startle.

The sea air of Newport Rhode Island permeated the events at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. On Sunday night, following the George Shearing Quintet, an all-star group consisting of vocalist Dinah Washington supported by, among others, drummer Max Roach, vibraphonist Terry Gibbs, trombonist Urbie Green, and mellophonist Don Elliott, took to the stage and entertained the audience by running down a handful of standards and a couple of blues. Newport ’58 [EmArcy SR 80009,] captured the proceedings beautifully considering the outdoor venue, and the H-1202’s fine rendering of the venue brought you to the front of the bandstand on that balmy summer night. Washington’s inimitable voice sounded full-bodied and rich as she worked her way through a spectacular version of "All of Me." Imaging was pinpoint and detail was captured in spades -- check the foot tapping count-off to "Crazy Love" on side one and Max Roach’s explosive drumming and shouts of encouragement throughout side two.

In a different vein, one of the best Columbia Records recordings I’m aware of is Igor Stravinsky conducting the Columbia Chamber Ensemble on the 1968 album Stravinsky Conducts Histoire du Soldat Suite [Columbia MS 7093]. Rarely have I been rewarded with such a lifelike, dynamic, spacious and compelling performance as that captured on this John McClure production and played back with the Allnic H-1202. All the elements we cherish in our pursuit of excellence in sound are found within the four quirky movements of this unabashedly theatrical piece. The sense of space in the studio in which the recording took place is palpable -- the stage illuminated as if being floodlit from above. The instruments, each occupying its own acoustic space, brought their voices to the music complete with microdetail devoid of etch, glare or any other nastiness associated with lesser electronics. Especially exciting, in terms of dynamics, were the startlingly realistic snare-drum attacks and bass-drum whacks in the second movement. The H-1202 excelled at conveying these more showy sonic qualities, just as it had with the subtleties.

A recent purchase brought to light the truly addictive nature of vinyl playback with this phono stage. Light In the Attic’s reissue for Record Store Day 2017 of The Music of Gurdjieff/De Hartmann [LITA 158] is a five-LP set of solo-piano music recorded informally in the 1950s. The music, composed by both Georges Ivanovitch Gurdjieff and Thomas De Hartmann, is highly spiritual and deeply moving. The unadorned simplicity of the pieces was captured on tape in mono, in what sounds like a heavily curtained parlor. The piano is precisely centered between the speakers and the notes fall, except when the sustain pedal is used, like pebbles on mud. The clarity of the recording is admirable, considering its age, and there are moments that are startling. For example, on track 2 on side 1 of record 4 someone in the studio (parlor?) coughs a couple of times. It was captured with such presence I glanced toward the right speaker looking for the source. The H-1202's ability to draw out fine details such as that, and the press and release of the sustain pedal, lent an air of believability to the event. I credit the Allnic for transporting me to the intimate space in which the recordings took place. Although listening to this music can induce sleep, I played through all five records without a break.

I’m not a connoisseur of organ music, but I find the selections of Nicholas De Grigny’s La Messe performed by Michel Chapuis [Astree AS 8], especially the "Recit de Tierce en taille," irresistible. The music, as heard on the 18th-century organ at France’s Belfort Cathedral and reverberating off the red sandstone church walls, is moving, inspiring and captivating -- the musicality and unflinching purity of the Allnic H-1202 guaranteeing an emotional response. The spacious recording, effectively capturing the sense of venue, did not disappoint. Neither did the mesmerizing tonal colors of the several hundred pipes, the reeds in particular sounding especially "reedy." The bass was visceral, easily felt through the floor of my listening room. Likewise the 53-year-old tracker-action Flintrop organ used on the late Dave Wilson’s 1978 recording Recital [Wilson Audio W-278], featuring organist James Welch in a more intimate venue performing a selection of organ pieces from Bach to Koetsier. As an example of the honest sound of the H-1202, listen to the dulcet sound of the English horn on Koetsier’s Partita. It massages the ears and could not, due to the fundamental honesty and musicality of the Allnic phono stage, ever be mistaken for the nasal timbre of its cousin, the oboe.

On a recent vacation to the West Coast and New Mexico to visit family and friends, I couldn’t resist the urge to dig for vinyl at Amoeba Music in Los Angeles, Folk Arts Rare Records in San Diego, Rhino Records in Claremont, Charley’s in Albuquerque and various stores in Santa Fe. Several of the gems I uncovered were used in this review. Returning to Gurdjieff, Keith Jarrett’s 1980 solo piano traversal of his "sacred" music on the album Gurdjieff Sacred Hymns [ECM 1174] is soothing, inspired music bordering on the somnambulistic -- that is, until the explosive passages found on the third track, "Religious Ceremony," ring out from the speakers. With a piano sound as hard as nails, Jarrett attacks the keyboard with intense percussive blows that would test the dynamic-range-handling ability of any component. I’m happy to say the Allnic H-1202 easily took up the challenge and the transients with flying colors, allowing the intense emotion of the music to stir this listener. Philip Glass’s 1986 album Songs From Liquid Days [CBS FM 39564] demonstrated the strengths of the H-1202’s sound by offering, compared to my reference, better separation of the voices, increased depth of image and a more unified overall presentation. Panini Records'1971 release Sons of Hawaii [Panini KN 1001] was a listening experience of pure analog happiness. The husky yet light voices of Gabby Pahinui, Eddie Kamae and Moe Keale, in close harmony, rose from the grooves as if carried by an evening trade wind. Adding to the tropical atmosphere was the ethereal, other-worldly sound of the steel guitar. Again, the Allnic phono stage transported me to another place in time and space.

Before wrapping this review, I reached for a recent reissue from Blue Note’s Tone Poet series -- Chick Corea’s amazing Now He Sings, Now He Sobs [Blue Note B0029363-01]. This recording, originally released in 1968 on Solid State, finds the 27-year-old Corea going for broke as he leads his trio through five intense self-penned originals. On this exceptionally well-produced LP, the Allnic H-1202 revealed the personalities of each of the cartridges I used with unambiguous clarity. Compared to my reference, the Allnic phono stage gave a more palpable take -- crisply defined, slightly larger images, increased air and a sense of tonal rightness. The recording of Roy Haynes’s drum kit throughout the album is among the best I’ve heard, with his solo on the first track, "Steps -- What Was," as close to having him in my room as I thought possible. The sound of his sticks on the bell of the cymbal and, toward the end, the quiet shimmering of the chimes were captivating. Credit must go to the H-1202 for revealing these details and the mastering skills of Kevin Gray.

I'll get right to my bottom line: I loved the Allnic H-1202. Its performance was exemplary whether set to MC or MM. Either setting brought about immensely enjoyable, prolonged listening sessions. The H-1202 handled every recording I played with authority, richness and musicality -- all layered upon backgrounds as dark and deep as a clear, starless night sky. Well-recorded performances, especially vocalists, possessed uncanny three-dimensionality. With every LP I found myself smiling and taking a deep breath, reveling in just how good and satisfying vinyl could sound. New surprises and facets of aural color were exposed in records I have listened to repeatedly over many years. New acquisitions quickly found their way onto the turntable and listening sessions extended deep into the evening hours. The Allnic was becoming my newest best friend. I could not fault it. As such, I was sad to see it go.

Yet, I have practical reservations regarding the cost of a ticket on the Allnic H-1202 train. To me, $3750 seems like a lot to spend on a phono stage with limited user adjustability. Yes, it’s sublimely musical and dead quiet, but so is my reference, though not to the same extent. Also, like my reference, the H-1202 handles both MM and MC cartridges, but its MC loading settings are fixed and allow no customization. And, unlike my reference, there is no mono setting to correct those "electronically re-channeled for stereo" recordings we are often plagued with and which find their way into our collections and on our turntables. Of course, some preamps offer this, so having it on your phono stage may be redundant.

The above notwithstanding, the Allnic H-1202’s ability to let the listener suspend disbelief makes it a very special part of the audiophile’s arsenal. With vinyl’s current popularity, phono stages are surfacing like bubbles in seltzer. It seems that every electronics manufacturer has at least one for sale, ranging in price from less than a hundred dollars to well over what a new car costs. If you’re not a cartridge swapper or obsessive tweaker, the Allnic H-1202 might be just the phono stage you’ve been seeking. I wager you’d not be disappointed. I was quite taken with it and could easily live with its two phono inputs and MC loading and gain options. I could also easily live with its overwhelming musicality, dynamics, speed, transparency and build quality.

Price: $3750.
Warranty: Two years parts and labor.

Allnic Audio
1105 Sicox Tower, 513-14
Sangdaewong-1dong, Jungwon-gu, Songnam-City, Kyuungi-do
462-806, Korea
031-777-9447
www.allnicaudio.com

Allnic Audio USA
www.allnicaudiousa.com

Associated Equipment

© www.theaudiobeat.com