Brinkmann Edison Mk II
The Edison Mk II brings vinyl to life with quiet, neutral precision, a remarkably stable soundstage and vivid dynamic ease. Marc Phillips found its presentation smooth, spacious and deeply revealing, while independent gain and loading for three inputs make this a formidable hub for finely tuned cartridge systems.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
93/100
Cartridge Compatibility
93/100
Build Quality
91/100
Value for Money
88/100
Pros
Exceptionally quiet, smooth and neutral presentation, with vivid energy and strong dynamic contrast.
Highly stable, spacious imaging places performers convincingly and reveals deep layers in familiar records.
Extensive cartridge matching: three inputs with independently adjustable gain and loading settings.
Premium German construction, including a glass-topped chassis, substantial base and well-made external power supply.
Cons
Busy rear-panel layout and extensive controls can initially feel overwhelming, making the manual useful for setup.
A serious high-end investment; the reviewer notes that even pricier phono stages may offer further performance.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 93/100
The Edison Mk II is described as quiet, smooth, precise and strikingly neutral, while still making music feel vivid, energetic and emotionally involving. Review listening also found unusually stable image placement and a generous sense of space.
Transparency Noise Floor
91/100
The reviewer calls the presentation quiet, smooth and precise, and found no obvious sonic signature during early listening. Brinkmann’s Mk II revisions are stated to lower the noise floor and improve detail, though the review does not provide direct comparisons of hum or hiss with difficult low-output cartridges.
Tonal Balance Musicality
94/100
The Edison is described as incredibly neutral and so balanced that the reviewer could find no immediate fault in its presentation. Rather than sounding merely analytical, it is portrayed as making records sound exceptionally compelling and capable of producing real emotional engagement.
Dynamics
93/100
Music is said to become more vivid and energetic, with greater dynamic contrasts and more room to breathe, without altering its underlying tonality. The reviewer’s response—“I had goosebumps”—supports the sense of a particularly alive, expressive presentation.
Soundstage Imaging
94/100
The Edison exceeded expectations in the solid, fixed way musical events developed within the soundstage. Instruments and performers were placed convincingly, each occupying the appropriate physical space, while the Mk II is also described as more holographic.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Cartridge Compatibility
93/100
Three inputs, including RCA and XLR options, can each retain independently selected gain and loading settings. Its 16 gain choices from 49 to 73dB and 12 load settings from 50 ohms to 47k ohms give it unusually broad scope for tailoring MM and MC cartridges; the reviewer also found that the adjustments revealed each cartridge’s preferred operating point.
Build Quality
91/100
The review describes a German-built precision machine with finely finished internals visible beneath its glass top. The separate base and compact power supply are both described as heavy and well made, and the reviewer’s account of using it across several turntables, cartridges and system configurations supports confidence in its execution.
Value for Money
88/100
At $13,900, the Edison Mk II is a serious high-end purchase, and the reviewer acknowledges that still more expensive phono stages may offer better sound. Even so, it is highly recommended and presented as an exciting, approachable bridge toward rarer and more complete playback performance, earning a Reviewer’s Choice award.
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Specifications
- Features
- Switches for input transformer, mono/stereo, phase/invert., remote control
- Specification
- Input impedance and gain individually adjustable for each input.
- Inputs
- 3 total. 2 RCA/XLR, 1 RCA
- Gain
- Adjustable (in 16 steps) from 49 to 73 dB
- Input Impedance
- Adjustable (in 12 steps) from 50 Ohms to 47k Ohms
- Output voltage
- Maximum ± 8V Balanced
- Output impedance
- 1k Ohm Balanced
- Dimensions (WxHxD)
- 420 x 95 x 310 mm (with granite base); power supply 120 x 80 x 160 mm
- Weight
- Edison, 12 kg; Granite Base, 12 kg; Power Supply, 3.2 kg
Manufacturer's Description — Brinkmann
During its eight-year production run, the original Edison has become the Phono Preamplifier of choice for connoisseurs who demand ultimate versatility as well as State-of-the-Art performance. Music lovers who own multiple tonearms and cartridges will find that Edison includes every feature imaginable. Three Balanced RCA inputs, two of which also feature XLR connection, accommodate the most elaborate systems. Each input is independently adjustable for gain (16 steps from 49 - 73 dB) and impedance (12 steps from 50 - 47k Ohms).
Adding selectable mono/stereo, phase/invert and a 1:1 input transformer of superb quality, Edison provides a level of fine-tuning unsurpassed by any other phono stage. A remote handset maximizes user convenience.
Like our Marconi Line Preamplifier and Nyquist Streaming DAC, Edison’s hybrid circuitry harnesses the best qualities of bipolar transistors and selected NOS Telefunken tubes. RIAA equalization is implemented partially as plate load and partially as feedback loop. Phase inversion for the balanced outputs is handled by a third tube stage.
In its Mk II incarnation, Edison’s RIAA EQ network has been completely re-designed. The result of Helmut Brinkmann’s relentless fine-tuning, nearly every capacitor has been updated with a new value or type, yielding increased accuracy and linearity. Lessons learned from the Nyquist design project enabled Edison’s output stage to be substantially improved, resulting in a lower noise-floor, more detailed and holographic sound, superior long-term reliability and an even closer connection to the music.
Edison Mk II is more than an enhancement of its legendary predecessor. The culmination of Helmut Brinkmann’s four decades of audio design, it is our definitive statement of the analog art.
The Edison Mk II version is now available at selected Brinkmann dealers. Owners of the original Edison can upgrade their unit to the Mk II standard. Please inquire.
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- Resolution A/V — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- Alternative Audio — in-store — Taunton, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Anagram Audio — online and in-store — Bury St Edmunds, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Analogue Seduction — online and in-store — Whittlesey, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Anquan — online and in-store — Glika Nera, Greece (website)
- Area Hifi — online and in-store — L'Eixample, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (website)
- Audible Images — in-store — Melbourne, Florida, United States (website)
- Audio Venue — online and in-store — London, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Audio Vision San Francisco — online and in-store — San Francisco, California, United States (website)
- BEK Hifi — in-store — Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States (website)
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