Burmester 100 Phono

If you’re after the best phono stage money can buy, this Burmester is a good place to start. There are plenty of choices at ‘money no object’ levels, but few that can match the 100 Phono’s modular nature, feature list and sumptuous build.

The base version of this unit comes in at the price we’ve quoted. This can support a single turntable (with either a moving-magnet or moving-coil module) and pass the amplified signal through single-ended or balanced XLR outputs.

If you’re lucky enough to run two turntables, the 100 can be equipped with a second phono module – both MM and MC options come in at £1640. Switching between the two inputs is a toggle flick away, and each can be optimised individually thanks to wide-ranging gain and impedance adjustments.

There is also the option to add an analogue-to-digital converter into the mix. Why would you want to add that? It lets you digitise and archive your vinyl, which is handy. Specifying the digital module adds £1240 to your bill. Our review sample has two phono modules (one MM and the other MC) but not the analogue-to-digital circuit (unfortunately). The package price comes to £10,480.

The 100’s front panel is pretty busy, but the signal-level meter grabs our attention. This can be selected to show the output of each channel individually or mixed together. It’s not totally accurate – there’s the inertia of the pointer and mechanism to consider – but remains handy to optimise performance as well as set the recording level for the digital recordings (if you have the digital module fitted). Go too high with the gain setting and the distortion is obvious. If the level is too low, noise can become an issue and dynamic range suffers.

Elsewhere, there are more toggle switches for most of the settings. There’s pretty much every feature we could ask for here including load impedance, a dedicated gain level for each input (37-52db for MM and 57-72db for moving coils), a subsonic filter (to take out unwanted low-end rumble) and output level (variable or fixed).

Ahead of the curve

The ability to deliver a variable output means that the 100 can be connected directly into a power amp and bypasses the need for a dedicated preamp in a purist vinyl-only set-up – a shorter signal path promising greater transparency. The phono stage even comes with a chunky metal system remote to control the volume in such a set-up.

There’s also a rather novel feature that ensures the cartridge’s channel balance is, well… balanced. This can even things out to an accuracy of 0.2db and can correct differences of up to 6db between left and right channels. The company even provides a test record to ensure an accurate setting.

But Burmester hasn’t stopped there. If you’ve specified the digital module, you can choose sampling rates of 48, 96 and 192khz to record in. This lets you balance performance with file size better.

Our only issue on the feature front is that Burmester doesn’t give the user a choice of equalisation curves. Most early discs were recorded using equalisation curves particular to the company that made it. There was no overall standard until the current RIAA curve was established in the mid-1950s – and that equalisation curve has been used on the vast majority of recordings ever since.

Why does having a choice of equalisation matter? If you have a lot of very early records then the only way to hear them at their best is by using the appropriate equalisation curve when listening to them. Some of Burmester’s rivals offer this option. It’s important to note that the 100 still works with these recordings, it’s just that the overall presentation won’t be optimal.

Positive impressions

Build quality is as good as we’ve come to expect from Burmester – the company’s products are invariably expensive but, in our experience, have the construction to justify the high cost. The 100 Phono simply reinforces our positive impression. Its casework is rigid and immaculately crafted with crisp edges and beautifully finished panels. Some may not take to the superbly chromed fascia, but we like it. Perhaps surprisingly, it helps the product to blend into our room by reflecting its surroundings.