Sutherland Insight MM/MC Phono Preamplifier Gets Inside the Details, Textures, and Tones That Make Vinyl Special: Dual-Mono Circuit Board, Isolated Power Supply Among Engineering Feats
A Stereophile Recommended Component, the Sutherland Insight MM/MC phono preamplifier may be the most aptly named phono preamplifier on the high-end market. Like all Sutherland models, Insight embraces austere design principles and attention-to-detail exactness. Remarkably quiet, supremely natural, and emotionally expressive, Insight penetrates deep into the details, nuances, and tones that make vinyl LPs unique listening experiences. You'll hear dead-quiet backgrounds, glorious instrumental textures, and quicker-than-Usain-Bolt transients. Insight's harmonious construction – a dual-mono circuit board, built-in isolated power supply, cold-rolled steel chassis, and gold-plated header pins and shunts – marries with five available gain and loading settings for tremendous convenience. Audiophile-grade capacitors and resistors crown a U.S.A.-built jewel that could easily justify a far steeper asking price. We guarantee you'll love what you hear.
"I was impressed by the Insight's iron grip on melodic lines,
and the beautifully elastic way it followed the dynamics of the piece..."
– Art Dudley, Stereophile
User-Friendly Configuration Makes Sonic Sense
Conventional designs use inexpensive, low-quality computer rocker
switches. Their design is inadequate for configuring the low-level
signal from a phono cartridge. To offer the user a wide range of
configurations while maintaining signal integrity, Insight uses
gold-plated header pins and gold-plated shunts. They offer high-pressure
and large surface area contacts. Each channel has two configuration
headers: One to select cartridge loading and another to select gain.
When changing configuration, be sure to set each channel to the same
value. Options are printed directly on the circuit board next to the
configuration headers.
Why Sutherland Engineering Is Different and Why It Matters
Ron Sutherland found the inspiration for his illustrious line of phono
preamplifiers in the topography of Kansas. As a college student there,
he observed the state's tall grass prairies and uncomplicated beauty.
The Sutherland Engineering founder also fell in love with the Midwestern
work ethic. He incorporates these purist albeit elusive qualities into
his designs, which epitomize a disciplined approach focused on
perfectionist-minded refinement, straightforward schematics, and
professional-instrument-caliber craftsmanship. Embracing a "superior
quality through simplicity" credo, Sutherland products avoid coloration,
clutter, and contamination at all costs. What remains are U.S.-built
components that ensure nothing stands between you and your music.