VTL • TP-6.5 Series II Signature Phono Stage

by Roy Gregory | March 30, 2023

© www.theaudiobeat.com

Do you know the old joke, about how you end up with a million dollars in the audio industry? Start with two million. Well, there’s another one: how do you make a great-sounding tube phono stage? Use something else. Like many such jokes, this one both overstates the case and yet still contains a grain of wisdom. While tube moving-magnet stages are legion, the number of successful, high-end phono stages that use tubes alone to amplify the signal from low-output moving-coil cartridges (pretty much an essential function to qualify for "high-end" status) can be counted on the fingers of one hand -- and most of those are built by Aesthetix and Jadis. Even the CAT SL-1, a unit that used an all-tube topology in its earlier versions, has (I believe) moved over to a transformer input these days.

Like all things audio, the reasons for this are complex, with various arguments for and against, but in essence they boil down to a single issue: noise. In asking tubes to operate at the signal levels generated by low-output cartridges, you are also asking them to operate well outside their comfort zone. Even those units that do succeed in using tubes to mate with sub-millivolt inputs are notoriously dependent on tube quality and lifespan. Poor tubes or old tubes all too often result in channel imbalances or intrusive noise levels -- and even if they don’t, for many listeners the anxiety that they might turn noisy actually proves almost as destructive.

Of course, the traditional response -- and many designers and owners of tube equipment are nothing if not traditionalists -- is to use step-up transformers (either internal or standalone) to amplify the tiny input signals from moving-coil cartridges. While they are undeniable quiet, fast and attractively dynamic, transformers introduce their own compromises, mainly in the realms of transparency, resolution, timing integrity and cartridge matching. To achieve the best results, a transformer needs to be wound so that its gain and input-impedance characteristics precisely match the cartridge in question (and let’s not forget the phono stage too, if the transformer is a standalone unit), a route that’s been taken by Lyra, Koetsu and Kondo amongst others -- all manufacturers who build their own cartridges. But, get that matching even slightly off and although the sound will probably be big, bold and dramatic, it can also be musically clumsy and lacking in textural, spatial and detail resolution. That makes building a universal input around transformers a difficult and costly exercise, as you multiply the range of options and the various windings required. Most transformers offer one or two input options and stick at that, which is hardly optimum in the wider market. Those wed to historical circuits and NOS direct-heated triodes will likely accept (and rationalize) the compromise, but for less traditional designers, the notion of a more tractable, versatile and technically elegant solution is irresistible -- even if it means crossing over to the dark side.

Amongst companies producing a range of what might be described as universal tube amplifiers, the two that stand out are Audio Research and VTL. Both offer high-power amplification, capable of dealing with awkward and inefficient loudspeakers; both offer products that seek to meet all likely high-end audio requirements, while matching the ergonomics and versatility of the solid-state competition (to the extent that, in the case of VTL, their tagline is "Making Tubes User Friendly"); both offer a high-end phono stage and both of those phono stages are hybrids, using a solid-state, J-FET-based input stage to amplify the signals from low-output moving-coils. While the use of silicon devices might be anathema to the triode holdouts, for modernist designers of tube equipment, the potential benefits are too great to ignore.

However, as always, actually realizing that potential is another matter. VTL’s original TP-6.5 Signature was a long time coming. Built into a slim, full-width chassis based on the same elegant casework as the TL-7.5 Reference and TL-6.5 Signature line stages, the TP-6.5 Signature was intended as a partner to those high-end designs, although it would also work as a standalone device with other electronics. It shared the versatility and functional elegance of the line stages, offering a full range of highly accessible functions, both on the unit itself and via a small handheld remote. These included separate inputs for moving-magnet (35dB gain single-ended output, 40dB balanced) and moving-coil cartridges, the latter with variable gain (adjustable in 6dB steps between 44 and 68dB on the balanced output). Loading was also adjustable, with seven sensibly spaced values ranging between 100 ohms and 47k ohms for MC cartridges, and three (10k, 22k and 47k ohms) for MM. In both cases there was also a user-definable option, allowing owners to have discrete resistors of a chosen type and value hardwired into place. RIAA was passively applied, and the output stage was fully balanced, with a choice of balanced or single-ended outputs. In addition you also got extremely useful yet often overlooked mono, phase (absolute or channel-to-channel reversal) settings and a rumble filter, as well as the option to engage the later Enhanced RIAA EQ curve. In short, pretty much everything the dedicated vinyl user might want (save the option of a wider range of switchable EQ curves), all readily available without even rising from your listening seat. What a shame that auto-change record players no longer existed.

Which brings us to one of the more unusual features of the TP-6.5 II, the option to supplant the separate MM input with a pair of 65dB-gain step-up transformers, high-quality Lundahl devices offering four switchable input impedance options (47, 100, 470 and 1k ohms). Having spent so much time discussing the benefits of the active gain approach, that might seem like a retrograde step or a severe case of hedging your bets, but increasingly we are approaching a point where it actually makes a lot of sense to offer both options. In audio, there are few absolutes when it comes to technology, execution being the key. As I pointed out earlier, get the matching of transformer input impedance and cartridge just right and the results can be excellent. With very-low-output cartridges (less than 0.4mV) and certain very-low-impedance designs, a carefully realized transformer can deliver superior (or at least preferable) results, acting as an alternative and future-proofing measure against a change of cartridge. The current trend in outputs may have been upward for a decade or so, but that can -- and probably will -- change, as evidenced by the arrival of the Fuuga and Lyra SL cartridges. The option to include transformers raised the question, would you be better off using that internal option or sticking to the MM input and buying the transformer that actually matched your new cartridge? The clue lay in the phrase “better off.” The VTL transformer option was certainly reasonably versatile and delivered great results with the Fuuga, where the active stage struggled with that cartridge’s output. It was also considerably more affordable than most of the dedicated-transformer designs.

Which brings us to the "new and improved" TP-6.5 Series II Signature, a unit that offers better results with a wider range of cartridges -- although it, too, still offers the transformer option. So what has changed? The original TP-6.5 employed the aforementioned J-FETs for MC gain, along with a pair of 12AU7s. The MM input was based on a pair of 12AX7s, while the phase-splitter stage and balanced-output buffer used two 12AT7s in tandem with two more 12AT7s -- enough glowing bottles to keep all but the most hardened tube diehard happy. Note, too, that these are all audio-specific 12A tube types, rather than repurposed 6DJ8s or similar, with potential benefits when it comes to noise and linearity. What didn’t depend on tubes was the heavily regulated power supply, something of a VTL tradition. Based around a low-radiation UI-core transformer, the power supply, with its multiple cascaded regulators and extensive RF shielding and filtering, certainly ensured low noise. Yet, this is where the changes have been wrought. The TP 6.5 II (I’m going to dispense with the considerable mouthful that is the full product name) introduces an all-new, shunt-regulated supply and, exploiting the latest Gel-Cap technology, a significant increase in the reservoir capacitance of the active MC stage. VTL claims lower noise levels, improved ripple rejection in the power supply and greater stability as a result, all borne out in practice. But the really impressive thing is that the reduced noise level and increased versatility when it comes to cartridge matching come at no cost in terms of the original TP-6.5’s musical strengths.

As one designer with a few phono stages behind him once said to me, “It’s not a case of making it quiet; it’s a case of making it quiet enough but still musical.” At first glance, that might seem counterintuitive, yet my own experience suggests that the quietest active phono stages are rarely the most musically engaging -- and the best tread a fine line between the music and their background noise levels. In contrast, the really quiet phono stages tend to sound dead, killing the noise but also the music, rather than letting it breathe. As soon as you appreciate this tradeoff, the noise level becomes another variable, in this case one to be balanced, not just against the input level of the cartridge but also against the gain structure of the system as a whole, and the line stage in particular. Perhaps it’s because they both have to interface with transducers, but it’s akin to the question of global feedback in power amplifiers, where it’s also not as simple as less is more. For any given amplifier there’s a small but ideal amount of feedback -- and the exact value depends on the speaker being driven and the room in which the system is located.

The exception to this rule, as far as phono stages is concerned, is the current-mode topology favored by Dynavector and CH Precision, amongst others. These "read" the current generated by the cartridge, rather than the voltage, are effectively self-adjusting and increase their gain with decreasing internal impedance in the cartridge. Fluid and tonally rich, they are also hard to engineer, can lack the slam and body of a good voltage-mode device and are quite another story, although one that is still governed by the same provisos outlined above.

The implications of all these caveats is that, rather than simply sitting down to listen to a phono stage, first you have to answer the really key question and that concerns its operational envelope -- its electrical comfort zone. One way or another, I spent considerable time with that original TP-6.5, and during that time I got to run it with a whole range of different cartridges. I came to appreciate its color, presence and body, its musical momentum and the coherent sense of shape it brought to performances. It might have lacked the incisive clarity of the (far more expensive) CH Precision P1, the intimacy and immediacy of the (unobtainable) Connoisseur 4.2 PLE, or the voluminous space and scale of the (also far more expensive) Audio Research Reference Phono 10, but instead its sense of presence and proportion offered a beautifully judged halfway house between the two extremes of analog reproduction: transparency and resolution on the one hand, overblown substance on the other. It was, to employ an overused phrase, unfailingly musical. But it also favored higher-output cartridges and higher-input-sensitivity line stages. More and more I came to feed its active inputs with the Lyra Etna Lambda, a cartridge whose combination of textural subtlety and color fed the TP-6.5’s natural strengths, passing over lower-output alternatives in favor of the robust solidity, body and dimensionality of the Lyra/VTL combination.

The TP-6.5 II is recognizably the same beast, but the drop in the noise floor has a profound impact on both its musical and dynamic authority (and the range of cartridges with which it will deliver these things). Starting where I left off, I ran the Lyra Etna Lambda in the Grand Prix Monaco v2.0/Kuzma 4Point setup and fed it straight into the TP-6.5 II’s active MC input. Presence, attitude and energy have always been a key part of the VTL house sound, but the increased dynamic range and resolution, along with the stability of the musical picture presented, brings considerable refinement and an increased sense of presence and instrumental focus to the musical event. Ever present, this is most apparent with solo instruments, whether they’re in front of a band or orchestra, or alone on the stage. With Martha Argerich’s recording of the Chopin Piano Sonata No.3, Op.58 (The Legendary 1965 Recording [Warner Classics 0825646372867]), her performance is vivacious and fluid, full of the precocious grace and effervescent confidence that underpinned her explosion onto the classical stage. The piano is big, bold, weighty and complex, full of subtle harmonic layers and textures. Its body, almost physical presence and sheer authority command the soundstage and the listener’s attention.

Compare that to the almost crystalline clarity and space presented by the CH Precision P1 and you can only marvel at what’s in a name -- both CH Precision and VTL. More transparent with a blacker background and greater low-level resolution, the solid-state unit offers a starkly lucid view of the performance. Its ability to separate each note focuses on technique and how the musician is playing. In contrast, the original VTL TP-6.5 might be said to have concerned itself more with what she is playing, giving you words and sentences, rather than a string of letters. That’s overstating the case -- and the wonder of the P1 is that it, too, is able to assemble that string of letters into a meaningful whole -- but there was no ignoring the TP-6.5’s uncanny ability to shape a phrase or follow a musical line, whether that line flows from the fingers of Martha Argerich or the bell of Coltrane’s sax. What the '6.5 II does is narrow the gap to the clarity and poise of the P1, bringing an increased sense of leading-edge precision, note weight and attack to the VTL’s performance.

This shift in focus toward the note without diminishing the dimensional presence and weight of instruments heightens the relationship between them, as the Rostropovich/Richter Beethoven Sonatas ably demonstrate [Speakers Corner/Phillips PHS 2-920]. Historically speaking, such star pairings have rarely amounted to the sum of their parts, but this is an exception. The piano and cello exist in a perfectly balanced relationship, one based on mutual respect and the space for each to perform. Once again, there’s an almost explicit sense of shape and flow to the instrumental lines, but the '6.5 II combines that with the sense of conversational exchange between the two, the parts fitting seamlessly together. It has the ability to articulate that relationship, pulling the instruments together rather than pulling them apart.

The closing Allegro of Sonata No.5 is a perfect example, the way in which the gradual waves of acceleration and subsequent relaxation of pace are carried across both instruments and both hands on the piano, leading naturally into the almost jaunty finale, the closing played with real attack, the cut and thrust revealing both Rostropovich’s masterly technique and Richter’s control of pace and weight. The closely focused concentration on the two instruments only adds to the natural tension and intensity of the performance, even if it comes at the expense of the overarching acoustic or the venue’s walls and ceiling. Often, a lack of acoustic definition can be linked to curtailed or poorly defined low frequencies. The TP-6.5 II’s portrayal of instrumental body and volume indicates that this is not the case. In fact, it possesses low-frequency authority, linearity and stability that are testament to the quality of the revised power supply.

It’s not much of a leap to predict that what works so well with cello is going to be equally impressive when it comes to vocals. Janis Ian’s voice is one that many systems can make sound thin, insubstantial and fragile, robbed of the chest and body behind it. Often, that’s not necessarily displeasing, giving a winsome vulnerability to many of her lyrics -- but that doesn’t stop it from being wrong. In person, her rich contralto is beautifully weighted and centered, in turn adding emotional weight and pathos to the songs -- a more serious proposition altogether, be it the quiet hurt of "At Seventeen," the quiet, world-weary resignation of "Bright Lights and Promises" or the lonely sadness of "Some People’s Lives." The original TP-6.5 certainly captured that melancholy presence, but the Series II brought an added sense of purpose and immediacy to musical proceedings, making what were already good recordings even more impressively engaging and communicative.

That ability to center on the core of a recorder performance could just be the TP-6.5 II’s super power. Listen to Zinka Milanov (Famous Operatic Arias [RCA Victorola VICS 1198]) and the whole recording is centered on and accentuates her magisterial range and control. After all, this is a highlights disc and an invitation to show off. In contrast, if you listen to Renata Tebaldi singing the title role in Catalani’s La Wally [Decca Set 394-6], it’s her sense of the dramatic, her emotional range, that come through. Play the highlight aria, "Ne andro lontana . . ." on the CH Precision P1 and you marvel at the expanse of the stage, Tebaldi’s slow move from the right-hand side to stage center, the entrance of the village populace. Play it on the TP-6.5 II and your attention is all on her voice, that slow progress across the stage being part and parcel of the building climax in the song. You hear the richer darkness of the mature performer in her tone -- and if her range is exposed by the soaring upper reaches of the melody, that merely adds to the hurt and drama.

All of which adds up to a performance that echoes that of the original TP-6.5, stands in the same footprints, so to speak, and builds on it significantly. The 6.5 II takes the signal from the Lyra Etna Lambda and reveals more of its musical texture and harmonic shading, more of the space around and between instruments, and gives the picture as a whole a greater confidence and presence. All of which makes the Series II revision an unqualified success, all upsides and no downsides. All that’s not always the case when manufacturers upgrade their products, nor is it entirely unexpected, especially from a company as painstaking and methodical as VTL.

But where things get especially interesting is once you move the '6.5 II out of the '6.5’s carefully defined comfort zone. Running the Fuuga into the original’s active input was marginal at best and required considerable juggling of the gain, both in the phono stage and the line stage it was feeding. Not so with the Series II. Not only does it cope happily with the 0.35mV generated by the Fuuga, it can even be persuaded to work with the 0.2mV delivered by the Ortofon SPU Royal N. Okay, so the noise level can get intrusive on quiet passages, but the Ortofon cartridge, with its lush tonality and smooth articulation, also plays to the VTL's strengths, especially when it comes to acoustic music, and I could see certain lovers of orchestral music trading that noise for the harmonic and timbral accuracy.

Krystian Zimerman’s recent set of the Beethoven Piano Concertos, with Rattle and the LSO [Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft  00289 483 9975] makes for a fascinating contrast with the same conductor’s live cycle recorded in Berlin with Mitsuko Uchida for the BPO’s own label [Berliner Philharmoniker BPHR180241]. Play the Fifth Piano Concerto with the SPU Royal N through the TP-6.5 II and the difference between the two versions is as stark as it is artistically interesting. The LSO set was recorded in the familiar, light and airy St. Luke’s venue, a socially distanced session from the height of COVID. The spaced players, spread across the entire expanse of the St. Luke’s floor area, together with that lucid acoustic, perhaps counteract Rattle’s more heavy-handed and bombastic tendencies. Whatever the reason, it’s an orchestral accompaniment that’s full of light, shade and texture, its quicksilver dynamics and the vibrant intensity of the playing the perfect foil to Zimerman’s stripped-back, articulate and incisive lines. It’s a great example of the records that Deutsche Grammophon is producing right now, as well as the traditional depth and sophistication of their roster. More importantly, the SPU/'6.5 II pairing responds to the life, energy and color in the recording, bringing a vivid vitality to the performance.

Now, compare that to Uchida’s concert with Rattle and the Berliner. The hall, conductor and orchestra combine to create a heavy, almost ponderous performance that threatens to overwhelm Uchida’s more delicately poised, sonorous and reflective playing. The almost Brahmsian tone and tempo are much more the Rattle that I’ve come to know (and which helps explain why I own so few of his recordings). Comparing the two readings, it’s hard to relate the heavy-handed concert performance to the DGG/LSO recording -- hard to believe it’s the same conductor and score.

It’s a mark of the TP-6.5 II’s musical honesty and communicative qualities that the contrast is so distinct, the artistic slant and direction of each performance so abundantly clear. This isn’t a phono stage that’s ruthlessly revealing or that pulls performances to pieces. Instead, its solid musical core anchors the recording while its control of energy and its newfound dynamic authority give it a sense of purpose and direction -- whatever that direction might be -- and that with the paltry 0.2mV generated by the Ortofon. Is it too strong a statement to say that it brings the best out of both the recording and the cartridge? It certainly seems to be the case with the Royal N, where the TP-6.5 II makes a real silk purse of what on paper could well be a sow’s ear.

Stepping back onto slightly safer ground by almost doubling the input level, the TP-6.5 II's performance with the Fuuga is unrecognizable compared to the cartridge feeding the earlier version of the phono stage. Definitely marginal with the original TP-6.5, the Fuuga’s potent life, dynamics and energy struggled in a pervasive wash of noise that filled space, slowed pace and softened attack and impact. It was still a Fuuga, but its qualities were muted, its authority undermined. Not so with the Series II, which revels in the potent sense of musical drive and power delivered by this cartridge, despite its modest output. Noise levels are still higher than with a unit like the CH Precision P1 (isn’t everything?) but well within the bounds of the acceptable.

Father of the Bride (Vampire Weekend [Columbia 19075930141]) provides a stern test of that balance between musical substance and noise level. The TP-6.5 II reduces the dramatic contrasts in the shifting soundscape of "Hold Me Now," with its opposing voices, incidental noises and choral samples. Compared to the more expensive (and sonically and temperamentally opposite) CH Precision P1, it lacks the sheer transparency and sudden shifts in density that the Swiss   phono stage (re)produces. But the news ain’t all bad. What the VTL does capture -- and captures absolutely effortlessly -- is the presence and substance of the voices and instruments, the attractive shape and flow of the melody, the way the soundstage expands into the choral sections. The P1 might give a greater sense of the song as artifice, a carefully constructed patchwork assembled in the studio, but the VTL delivers it in a more contiguous form, allowing the song to flow as a single coherent whole. It might be less detailed, but it’s just as enjoyable -- just in a different way. The transparency may be reduced, the dynamics slightly compressed as a result, but the expressive range is all present and correct. More importantly, it’s not just communicative -- it’s easy to listen to as well. Surface noise is less intrusive, while that easy substance and flow extract body and purpose from even thin and wimpy recordings. The last word in accurate resolution? Maybe not. More like a guarantee of musical enjoyment.

Of course, step up the output level of the cartridge to Lyra Etna Lambda level and that clarity and resolution steps up with it, but the point here is that the sheer musical integrity of the TP-6.5 II allows you to play and seriously enjoy the virtues of a cartridge like the Fuuga. One of my enduring memories of the Fuuga feeding this phono stage will be the sumptuous power and grace of the Berliner Philharmonic box, Furtwängler's The Radio Recordings [Berliner Philharmonic BPHR180181]. Dating from the wartime years, 1939-1945, these are digital transfers of the original tapes. They’re also (obviously) mono, relatively narrow bandwidth and, as live concert recordings, littered with incidental noise, none of which hides or impedes the sheer majesty of the playing. These records are far more than just a historical document. They encapsulate the very essence of what home audio should be about. Forget the lack of stentorian bass, the absence of a soundstage or the tonal inconsistencies. Played through the TP-6.5 II (and helped in no small part by the mono switch) there is immediacy, vitality and poise to the playing and performances that are simply captivating. It makes you realize just why Furtwängler enjoys his legendary status. That realization is down in no small part to the VTL’s contribution.

So much for exploring the lower limits of acceptable signal level when it comes to the active MC input. If you really want to go low output, then you should investigate the transformer option. The review unit didn’t have the transformers installed, but I have listened to them in the original model. Back then they were something of a necessity, but given the ability of the TP-6.5 II to work with a wider range of cartridges, they have taken on a slightly different role. They now also fulfill the increasingly necessary function of providing a second MC input for audiophiles running two tonearms and cartridges. Why not just add a second active input? Because by sticking to the MM plus optional transformer, VTL is providing the widest range of options to end users. As already noted, the internal transformers are versatile and extremely cost-effective, should you want to run that second cartridge, or devote them to a low-output primary choice. According to VTL, most TP-6.5 IIs are ordered with the transformer option, although whether that’s a case of customers future-proofing their purchase or running two 'arms is less clear. However, by retaining the MM input, VTL still allows transformer devotees to use an external unit dedicated to or specifically chosen to match a given cartridge. Finally, it also offers the often-overlooked option of running a high-quality moving-magnet or moving-iron design. That might be deeply unfashionable, but given the price (and performance) of even a modest low-output moving-coil, there are some really interesting MM options out there from the likes of Nagaoka. They might just surprise you.

How do the transformers sound? Past experience with the Fuuga feeding the transformer input of the TP-6.5 suggests that, with the right cartridge and the right load setting, they’ll deliver a sound that’s rich, weighty and powerful. Compared to that original active input, the orchestra started to pick up its feet, bringing a greater sense of drive, direction and musical purpose to proceedings. This is a sound that I could imagine many a listener falling in love with, its smooth, powerful flow and sheer presence winning many friends.

Playing the difficult Rostropovich/Karajan Dvorak Cello Concerto (Berlin Philharmonic [Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft SLPM 139044]) crystallized both the strengths of and the weaknesses in the transformer input. The opening was sweeping and progressive, the level and musical density building with a convincing sense of power and all the polish you’d expect from HVK and the BPO. So far so good, but the entrance of the solo instrument really displayed the swings to the transformers’ roundabouts. Rostropovich sounded big, bold and present, powerful and suitably commanding -- but what was missing was the sinewy, ripped muscularity in his playing, the fineness of line, control and technique that, at least to me, are what make him Rostropovich. This was a more sweeping, more romantic, more sumptuous presentation, more akin to what I’d expect from Starker’s grace and power. At the same time, while the overall sense of acoustic space was solid and coherent, I lost the definition and separation that bring so much presence and immediacy, attitude and urgency to the active input. On the one hand, the transformers bring power and substance; on the other, they rob the music of resolution and articulation -- as it ever was. But to further muddy the issue, I only spent real time using the transformers with the Fuuga: different cartridge, different balance of virtues, different musical results.

VTL suggests that the Lyra Etna Lambda SL is a particularly good match with the transformers and, at least on paper, I can see why that might be. The low-output Lyra’s undoubted resolution and articulation will help push the balance in that direction, while its low output and low internal impedance will definitely favor the transformers’ low-noise gain. And that’s the point. Different cartridges will deliver different results and in turn different listeners will judge them differently. In one way, the transformers fitted to the TP-6.5 were fully vindicated by my reaction. Despite their obvious quality, they still do exactly what I expect from a transformer and underline my own preference for active gain. Or, to put the converse perspective, I can understand those who value what transformers do wondering what on earth I’m listening to or for.

Which is really the point. I’m not sure that by offering the transformer option, VTL can claim to offer the best of both worlds -- I’m not sure that’s even possible. But what it definitely does is offer a genuinely credible solution to those who favor either approach. The TP-6.5 II may not have converted me to transformers to amplify my moving-coil cartridges, but it has certainly confirmed the musical rewards I hear from a high-quality, active gain stage, turning in performances that are powerful, immediate, engaging and compelling. It does exactly what I want from a phono stage. There’s a good chance that, one way, the other or maybe both, it will do the same for you. That’s a very neat trick if you can make it work, and it’s one that I think the VTL has mastered.

Time and again I’ve used sense in describing the sound of the TP-6.5 II. The warmth and weight, rich harmonics and instrumental or vocal dimensionality of the original TP-6.5 are still immediately apparent, combined with a more purposeful, dynamic and musically focused authority. What is less obvious is the way that instrumental substance and intent contribute to the weight of the musical performance, the clear understanding of what is being played, but, more importantly, why. Why did anybody think this music was worth writing, playing or recording? The TP-6.5 II makes playing records more than just an academic, matter-of-fact exercise. It reveals when (and revels in) a performer who is more than simply going through the motions. It rewards the listener in turn -- and it does so regardless of genre or scale. I’ve concentrated on the individual in describing this unit’s performance, but don’t overlook the cohesive, musical coherence it brings to proceedings. The notion of a choir all singing from the same song sheet, or of the orchestra as instrument, are vividly embodied by the VTL. Whether it is the quicksilver brilliance of Mozart Divertimenti or the sparse soundscape of RVW’s Sinfonia Antarctica, the TP-6.5 II imbues the performance with both presence and purpose -- as well as the Antarctic landscape with a stark and bleak chill.

If that elusive beast, the universal phono stage, exists, I’ve yet to discover it. The practical challenges presented by sitting between a low-output transducer and the rest of a system that increasingly assumes its sources will have almost embarrassingly high signal levels mean that narrowing the operational envelope to moving-coil output levels has a disproportionate impact on the potential performance. The very best phono stages offer enough adaptability to mate with a range of cartridges rather than all of them -- and VTL’s TP-6.5 II is a case in point. Indeed, this upgrade isn’t only about an increased sense of musical purpose and authority; it is about increasing the unit’s versatility -- the number of cartridges it will get the best from. It can accommodate really-low-output cartridges through its optional transformer input, but in Series II guise, it’s able to deliver the benefits of its active input to a far wider range of cartridges, especially those that generate a lower signal level. The original TP-6.5 was at its musical happiest working with the current crop of highish-output moving-coils (0.5mV or above), where the dynamic authority, uncluttered stability and grasp of musical intent that typify VTL products really emerged. The Series II extends that capability down to 0.3mV outputs. Perhaps even more importantly, it does so while building on rather than diluting the '6.5’s considerable musical strengths.

At its best, the TP-6.5 II has that rare ability to shrug off its technological baggage, sounding neither overtly tubelike, nor dryly etched and solid-statey. Instead, it cleaves to the musical character of the recording, burrowing into its musical core and then giving it a healthy shove in the right direction. There’s more than one way to skin a musical cat, and allowed to do so, this phono stage can perform the task with such sleight-of-hand you don’t even notice it happening -- and that’s the mark of a product that will deliver not just great performance but long-term satisfaction. Party tricks and the sonically spectacular will quickly pall. The TP-6.5 II’s core musical virtues are made of sterner stuff. If you’ve ever wondered how VTL gets all those Best Sound at Show accolades, now you know: they play records and they play them through a genuinely excellent phono stage. Time and again, in public and throughout this review, VTL’s TP-6.5 Series II Signature phono stage has demonstrated that it is more than capable of producing (and reproducing) performances that are both musically powerful and compelling, the very essence of what vinyl replay should be about.

Price: $15,000; input with moving coil transformer, add $3000.
Warranty: Five years parts and labor.

VTL
4774 Murrieta Street
Unit 10
Chino, CA 91710
(909) 627-5944
www.vtl.com