Deluxe and delightful

Arriving from California via London comes the Zesto Audio Andros phono preamp – all tubes and transformers and, courtesy of an uprated PSU, now in Deluxe II guise

DETAILS

PRODUCT Zesto Audio Andros Deluxe II

ORIGIN USA

TYPE Tube phono preamplifier

WEIGHT 9.53kg

DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 430 x 127 x 304mm

FEATURES

• Two inputs, one MM and one MC
• High-quality output transformers driven by dedicated 12DW7/ECC832 output tubes

DISTRIBUTOR Signature Audio Systems

WEBSITE zestoaudio.com signaturesystems. co.uk

If you fancy full control over your cartridges, an all-singing/all-dancing phono preamp like the Zesto Andros Deluxe II could be your way to go. At £7,500, it may seem steeply-priced but it actually occupies the lower reaches of the extreme phono stage market – there are £40k-plus units out there if you’re so inclined. That’s not to say one shouldn’t still be hyper-critical because the market is also awash with exceptional, fully-adjustable phono amps for under £1,000.

The Deluxe II version of Zesto’s Andros is an all-tube phono amp with more than enough features to excite and satisfy the multiple cartridge/ arm/turntable user. In an era when balanced outputs are no longer a rarity, the Andros Deluxe II offers not just balanced alongside conventional single-ended RCAs, it also provides both RCA/XLR inputs for moving-coils – moving-magnet, meanwhile, is single-ended only.

Only one of the two moving-coil inputs can be used at a time, so lateral thinkers can forget about the option of simultaneously connecting two MC pick-ups via both sets of inputs. For testing purposes the Deluxe II is hooked up to preamps in both modes with balanced coming out as our preferred option.