I should start this review with an apology for taking so long to get the review turned in. I had planned to do it when I reviewed the Margules Audio U280-SC 25th Anniversary tube amp and SF220.15 20th Anniversary tube line stage, but somehow got distracted. When I did the article about my three big surprises in 2015, I realized I had never written a review for this surprising phono preamp. So here it is, hopefully better late than not at all.
The Margules Audio Magenta FZ47DB Phono Stage Preamplifier is a small black box with a nice slightly curved front panel. It looks nice enough, but mostly it looks business like. This is ok with me; while I like nice looking equipment, I also appreciate equipment that spends more on the inside than the outside, a category that includes Margules Audio Magenta FZ47DB Phono Amplifier, and the Emia Remote Autoformer I use as my line stage reference. The Magenta has plenty of gain, 54dB with a maximum output voltage of 10V and a S/N ratio of 90 dB at maximum output. It uses a dual regulated power supply, and when you look inside you find a built-in internal DIP switch board that allows you to change the load with 16 different input impedances that vary from 27K to 390 K ohms. While some may feel that it’s a pain to have to remove the cover to use the switches, please remember the huge savings here and that you don’t have to do it often.