Sutherland DUO, Phono Preamplifier

The DUO is derived from the cost-no-object PhonoBlock and the cost-optimised 20/20. 

No expense was spared in the design and construction of the Phono Blocks. The Phono Blocks are at the pinnacle of phono preamp performance. It just doesn’t get any better. The 20/20 was designed to deliver the best possible performance at its predetermined price point. To get there, extra effort was put into incorporating premium parts and circuitry into the signal path. Consequently, some expenses were squeezed out of less critical areas.

Those trade-offs have worked very well. The 20/20 has delivered an extremely high level of performance at a reasonable price. It is an incredible performance value. What if all the price constraints in the 20/20 were lifted? The price goes up; the performance goes up. It starts looking a lot like the PhonoBlock. The actual signal path of the 20/20 is quite good. It uses a circuit very similar to the PhonoBlock. In critical positions, it also uses the same premium quality (and high-cost) components. Very little was held back in that area.

The upgrade opportunity focuses on a more refined power supply, improved circuit board properties, and dual-chassis construction. Enter the DUO...

Each DUO has a built-in AC power supply. There is an IEC power inlet on each chassis to accommodate the user's preferred power cord. The shielded power supply module has one output. That output is split into two branches. One for each of the two gain stages. Each branch is independently filtered and regulated, providing a substantial foundation for the gain stages.

Features

• FR-4 fibreglass circuit boards
• Double-sided with plated through holes
• 1/8” thick for extra rigidity and minimal dielectric influence
• Dale/Vishay 1 % metal film resistors
• Wima Polypropylene capacitors for power supply bypassing and DC servo
• Custom-wound, 1 % polystyrene film capacitors for equalisation
• 14-gauge cold-rolled steel base baked epoxy powder coat finish
• 1/2 “ thick anodised aluminium panel
• Anodised in front panel artwork
• Gold-plated, Teflon-insulated RCA connectors
• Gold-plated configuration headers and shunts

Specifications

Cartridge loading (ohm): 100, 200, 475, 1k, 47k
Gain settings (dB): 40, 46, 52, 58, 64
Size (WDH): 17” x 12” x 2.5” 
Shipping box (WDH): 23" x 18" x 9"
Weight: 11 lb each
Shipping weight: 19 lb each