Phono Preamplifiers

There is a strong argument to be made for Germany being the 'Vinyl Engine' of Europe. Admittedly, Austria's Pro-Ject holds the European crown for sheer production volume when it comes to turntables and phono stages, but the number of different vinyl-related companies that hail from Germany is still surprisingly extensive. Back in the LP's original heyday, the likes of Dual, Perpetuum Ebner and ELAC led the field, and all three companies still exist in Germany today, the latter returning to turntable manufacturing in recent years [HFN Jul '17 & Feb '23]. In addition, the likes of Transrotor, Clearaudio, Acoustic Signature, Acoustic Solid, AMG, Dr. Feickert, Scheu Analog, Brinkmann, TW Acustic, STST and more recent arrivals like Langer Audio, are all turntable specialists. Even larger manufacturers more famous for their electronics, such as AVM and Burmester, have added turntables to their model ranges in recent years. Lehmannaudio Vertriebs GmbH, to give the company its full name, may not make turntables, but still remains an active member of this community. The brand was founded in 1988 with its first product being released in 1995 – this was the Black Cube phono stage, a model that is still in production to this day.