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VAC Amps Renaissance Phono Stage
After designing the cost-no-object, award- winning Statement Phono Stage, we approached the Renaissance Phono project with great excitement. How could the lessons learned be applied to a more attainable phono stage?
Could the techniques developed for the Statement be adapted and applied? Would the Statement “DNA” be audible?
It turns out that the sonic family resemblance is uncanny and unmistakable. The stunning Renaissance Phono Stage is already a reference for some turntable manufacturers.
The Renaissance circuit is directly developed from the Statement, incorporating the six twin triode tube stages responsible for the principal ampli cation of the phono signal and RIAA equalization.
“Dual mono rectification, filtering, decoupling, and energy storage is provided in the external power supply and in the audio chassis for spacious imaging, incredible detail, and full range impact. The new chassis design greatly improves EM shielding, with results more similar to the Statement than to earlier VAC preamplifiers.
Three inputs are provided on premium Cardas rhodium RCA jacks. Front panel controls allow you to customize the gain and both MM and MC cartridge loading. You can even select a mono mode to optimize noise and resolution with non- stereophonic recordings.
Compare the Renaissance Phono Stage with others costing many times more, even up to $30,000 or more. Hear your treasured recordings come to life, and we’ll soon be welcoming you to the VAC family.
The Special Edition version features many of the exotic resistors and capacitors found in the Statement Phono Stage, elevating the performance significantly.
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Professional Reviews 91/100
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
88/100
Cartridge Compatibility
90/100
Build Quality
94/100
Value for Money
95/100
The Renaissance Phono Stage delivers a deeply absorbing, genre-spanning vinyl experience, pairing tube-driven musicality with serious cartridge flexibility. Switchable high-gain MC operation, selectable loading and a dedicated external supply make it a confident partner for ambitious analogue systems. Audiophilepure also highlights its exceptional build quality, refined functionality and luxurious finish.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Highly involving, satisfying presentation that remained engaging across genres and extended listening sessions.
Build quality, functionality, aesthetics and overall performance received emphatic praise.
Reviewer considered it compelling even against substantially more expensive alternatives.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 88/100
The available audition report is emphatically positive: the reviewer says the Renaissance SE continues to amaze during every listening session and remains engrossing across musical genres. The review offers limited detail on individual sonic attributes, but its overall account points to a highly involving and satisfying presentation.
Transparency Noise Floor
86/100
The reviewer does not directly discuss hiss, hum, background silence, or low-level resolution. Still, the consistently absorbed listening experience across familiar LPs suggests a clean presentation that did not intrude on enjoyment.
Tonal Balance Musicality
91/100
Musical involvement is the clearest strength in the available review. The listener describes being totally enraptured while working through favorite records, regardless of genre, indicating an unusually engaging and persuasive musical character.
Dynamics
87/100
There is no direct discussion of transient attack, macro punch, or microdynamic nuance. The reviewer's repeated enthusiasm and sustained engagement indicate that the music did not come across as flat or inert.
Soundstage Imaging
87/100
The review does not specifically describe image focus, soundstage width, or depth. Its strong overall listening impressions nevertheless suggest that spatial presentation supported, rather than distracted from, the stage's immersive character.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Cartridge Compatibility
90/100
The Renaissance supports both MM and MC cartridges, with 44dB MM gain and switchable 62dB or 68dB MC gain on later units. Selectable MC loading from 100 to 470 ohms gives it useful scope for matching a broad range of moving-coil designs, while retaining straightforward MM support.
Build Quality
94/100
The reviewer praises the Renaissance SE's build quality, functionality, aesthetics, and performance as being present "in spades." Its separate external power supply and detachable umbilical also reflect a purposeful two-box execution, though the review does not provide long-term reliability observations.
Value for Money
95/100
At the review sample's $14,000 MSRP, the reviewer calls it a must-audition for buyers near that budget and says the same would apply even at twice the expenditure. That is unusually forceful endorsement of its performance relative to costly alternatives.
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Authorized dealers for VAC Amps Renaissance Phono Stage
- The ASOC Gallery of Fine Audio — in-store — Stratford, Ontario, Canada (website)
- American Sound — in-store — Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada (website)
- Audio compositions — in-store — Newark, Delaware, United States (website)
- Audio Salon — in-store — Boca Raton, Florida, United States (website)
- Dr Vinyl — in-store — Middle River, Maryland, United States (website)
- Echo Audio — online and in-store — Portland, Oregon, United States (website)
- Editors Choice HiFi — in-store — Paola, Kansas, United States (website)
- Elite Audio Systems — in-store — San Francisco, California, United States (website)
- HiFi Loft — in-store — New York, New York, United States (website)
- HIFI SOLUTION — in-store — Chandon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France (website)
and 12 more verified dealers