Spartan 15 Review: Affordable Handmade Phono Preamp?

Micheal Fidler's company, Classic Audio Ltd made significant waves across the vinyl community back in December 2021 with the release of his Spartan 10 model phono preamp.
Fast forward two years later and there's a brand new model, the Spartan 15.
Having heard a lot of recommendations from subscribers about Michael Fidler's preamps, I jumped at the opportunity to review this handmade all-through-hole technology phono preamp. Is this the best moving magnet (MM) phono stage in the sub-$ $500 price bracket?
Resources & Links:
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Full Sound Matters review:
www.yoursoundm...
Spartan 15 Product:
michaelfidler....
Michael Fidler Video on Audio Measurements:
• How to cheat with phon...
Partner/Sponsor Discounts:
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GrooveWasher (Use code: SOUNDMATTERS10 for 10% Off)
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Twelve Inch (Use code: SOUNDMATTERS10 for 10% Off)
twelve-inch.com/
VSS Record Sleeves: (Use code SOUNDMATTERS10 on checkout):
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Soundeck Dampening Products (Use code SOUNDMATTERS10):
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Vinyl Pursuit - Vintage Vinyl Online: (Use code SOUNDMATTERS15):
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Vinyl Moon - (Use code SOUNDMATTERS10)
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#vinylrecords #vinylcommunity #recordcollector #audiophile

[@soundmatters]

Thanks for watching! 🎶🎧 Do drop your comments and questions below. If you'd like to support the channel, check the video description for many DISCOUNT CODES codes to enjoy money off various products and feed your vinyl habit! (I earn a small commission - no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!

[@kmad5853]

I have had a Spartan 5 for almost a year, and it is a phenomenal phono stage. It has the same characteristics of the Spartan 15, and don't forget all the models have a mono switch. At only $200 shipped to US, I would highly recommend even the Spartan 5 as an alternative to the Schitt Mani 2 and iFi Zen Phono. I hope to upgrade up the chain to the Spartan 15 or the MM Pro in the next year.

[@Mal0wens]

That's what I'm eyeing off at the moment. Most likely will pull the trigger on the 5. Love the inclusion of that mono switch for sure!

[@TheAndred1]

Thank you . Based on this review I’m going to get one

[@soundmatters]

Enjoy! It's a great sounding preamp. I just swapped the silver version for the black finish.

[@gregg1522]

Need a head to head with the Rothwell Simplex please 🙏

[@aaronatz9619]

Bought one last week and it truly put my zen to shame!! Not only was it superior, Micheal is very good at communication and very helpful and patient with anu questions.

[@soundmatters]

I’ve collected and tried quite a few phono pres now. And Michael Fidlers designs are making it hard to settle with anything other than his! I have to say: so well made and ultra-transparent sounding. Plus, you’re right, he’s very hot on customer service too 🎶🎧 - Enjoy!

[@GuyRWood]

Great review of a fantastic product, I love mine 😀.

[@soundmatters]

Glad you’re liking it too. I’m still very much enjoying this preamp. Enjoy the music 🎶🎧

[@markcarrington8565]

Hi Mark, great review. This is a curious market segment, as most folks shelling out this much on a phono stage will often be contemplating going the moving coil approach. I guess there must be enough people out there who want to stay with MM and when you get to the high end MM carts, they certainly deserve it. Having said all of that, I really like his design choices. He’s even socketed the opamps so if you fancied turbo charging the performance later, fit a pair of Burson Audio V6 Vivids to it and prepared to be astounded by the difference.

[@soundmatters]

Hey Mark! Thanks for your comment: there is single stage model he makes too which is more affordable: michaelfidler.com/products/spartan/spartan-5-moving-magnet-phono-stage/ I'm no electronics expert, but having that option is nice. How much would an upgrade like that cost? I wonder what Michael's thoughts on that switch would be.

[@markcarrington8565]

@@soundmatters Burson dual opamps are just shy of £300 a pair. I use them in my CD player and the difference was amazing. As he has put sockets in the board it means no soldering is required, just pull them out and drop the Burson V6s straight in.

[@jedi-mic]

Yes true what would his opinion be? you could even go with discreet opamps and even valve discreet op-amps but only put it in the second stage of amplification and running it with low impedance@@soundmatters

[@jedi-mic]

I don't know if it's better have you check the data sheet between the two? If you're going to go for that amount of money I would go discrete and it's cheaper like the sparkos labs, @@markcarrington8565

[@DalstonVinyl]

If its helpful, you can always make a mono/switch unit, which I did last year...even with extremely high end components it only cost me about £35 - but I did already have a suitable box to build it in, so I didn't need to buy that. It work superbly BTW. 14:41

[@soundmatters]

Sounds bargain :)

[@DalstonVinyl]

@@soundmatters I used a Japanese toggle switch of good manufacture and Mundorf OCC solid copper hookup wire inside.

[@TTVEaGMXde]

Since I know the data sheet for the NJM2068, I think the IC sockets are very important.😉

[@jedi-mic]

Are you waxing lyricall lol

[@rastislavledaj3110]

So in fact the very same design like other DIY RIAA preamps based on NE5532 with ona big caviat - non-balanced PSU - so huge hum issues with lots of cheap (non DD) turntables.

[@enricolisk1357]

Great review. Would like to know if the provided linear power supply could be upgraded with other linear power supplies.

[@soundmatters]

With the right specifications I suppose so. The included power supply might look like a typical switching wall-wart, but is in-fact an external linear transformer power supply. I could check if he recommends a model if you like?

[@enricolisk1357]

@soundmatters I will take his word on his LPS. Is the same LPS used on the pro models of the phono stage?

[@jedi-mic]

Don't know necessarily if it would help in this case, as long as it's got a good transformer in the power supply I believe so it is regulated and there's a half bridge rectifier in itself what could be an issue using something that isn't, he doesn't use any bridge rectifiers what cuts down the noise, it outputting 6 va fairly high for a phono stage. the only improvement you could make is to get two power supplies the same and separate the left and right channels and convert them into mono, that should show a massive improvement especially with cross talk looking at the Board it is possible to adapt it@@soundmatters

[@Jil8840]

Why didn't you make a sound test comparison with the other amps that you have so that we can get an idea of how it sounds????

[@soundmatters]

Copyright issues I'm afraid. I get where you're coming from though.

[@danielleclare2938]

Try not to look down your nose when speaking to the camera. It is an unwelcome perspective. Put the camera up higher so you can look straight on without tipping your nose up into the frame every time.

[@mikepxg6406]

This is so simple you could build it yourself .

[@soundmatters]

Sounds like a nice project for you.

[@jedi-mic]

A lot of thought is gone into not as simple as it looks otherwise everybody'd be making great preamps. You can see he's done things right in his layout of components and choice of components the only that might help is some surface mount resistors and capacitors in some strategic places I think there might be actually on the other side of the board I'm not sure

[@cobar5342]

OMG You.... are... pausing... between... words... to.. an.. inordinate.... degree.... again..