TZ Vibe Transimpedance Phono Stage

Sutherland has designed a great number of phono preamps over the years and most have received world-wide acclaim. One of the advantages of having such a lengthy pedigree is that every once in a while, a spark ignites and a new model springs out of the Ether, a brilliant idea brilliantly executed. The TZ Vibe is one of those. Melding the strengths of two of Sutherland's greatest hits, the KC Vibe and the Little Loco Mk2, into a single chassis, the TZ Vibe is practical, efficient, cost-effective and pushes the price to performance envelope. 

Sutherland has done some "design splicing" and come up with this compact-chassis phono stage, lifting the transimpedance input stage directly from the award-winning Little Loco Mk2 and melding it with the KC Vibe's compact chassis and secondary gain stage, the TZ Vibe brings the incredible performance of a transimpedance phono stages down to a much more accessible price point. Of course, like all Sutherland designs, the TZ Vibe is built with meticulous attention to detail in circuit design and construction.

SYSTEM CONSIDERATIONS
The TZ Vibe is only compatible with Moving Coil (MC) phono cartridges. The TZ Vibe is not compatible with Moving Magnet (MM), Moving Iron (MI) or with MC Step-Up Transformers. Also, please note that although previous versions of Sutherland's transimpedance phono stages required specific configurations of tonearm cable, the TZ Vibe does not. Simply connect your turntable and play!

LOAD SETTINGS
There are no loading adjustments in the TZ Vibe. They're not necessary with a transimpedance phono stage making the TZ Vibe essentially plug-and-play! For those looking for a more technical explanation, a traditional voltage-based phono stage requires matching of the phono preamp's load which to the internal impedance of the cartridge's generating mechanism. The TZ Vibe bypasses all that by presenting a zero-ohm impedance to the cartridge, quite literally removing all impediment to current flow and allowing the cartridge to drive the input stage directly. This is only possible in a current-based circuit, aka transimpedance.

GAIN SETTINGS
The TZ VIBE is factory-set to Medium Gain, which we've found to work very well for most cartridges. The usual concerns about matching a cartridge's output voltage to a gain section simply do not apply here. Regardless of output voltage, most MC cartridges generate roughly the same level of "drive current" into a zero impedance load (aka a short) which is what the TZ Vibe presents. However, if your particular situation would benefit from a gain adjustment, the Gain settings can be easily changed by  simply changing the position of the "shunts" on the red circuit board. The default setting is MED GAIN, but can be boosted by 6dB when the shunts are moved to HIGH GAIN or reduced by 6dB when the shunts are moved to LOW GAIN, please remember to change both channels.

POWER SUPPLY:
Like a few other Sutherland designs, the TZ Vibe comes with an external 48V power supply. This power supply connects underneath the belly of the unit and is also fitted with an IEC inlet. Do not use power supplies other than those supplied by Sutherland with this unit as they can cause severe damage to the unit. Damage caused by using a non-Sutherland PSU will not be covered under warranty.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Dimensions: 9x11x2" (WDH)
Weight: 6 Lbs (10Lbs shipped)
Power Requirement: 86 to 260VAC (Only use supplied PSU or Sutherland Linear PSU)
Power Consumption: ~5 Watts
Warranty: 5 Years, Parts and Labor, Transferable, but only valid on units that have not been modified or abused