VPS 100 MKII
Phono stage (MM)
A split LCR RIAA phono stage with Siemens C3g tubes, built point-to-point in silver.
| VPS 100 MKII, standard | €22.500 |
| VPS 100 MKII, Silver Edition | €37.500 |
Prices including 21% VAT.
Available exclusively through authorised dealers.
About the VPS 100 MKII
The road to the VPS 100 took many turns through an extensive evaluation of topologies, materials, design and implementation.
Ypsilon prefers passive RIAA equalisation: active equalisation places the RIAA network in a feedback loop. Conventional capacitor-resistor networks suffer from dielectric absorption, which adds a slight ringing that is audible on piano. An LCR (inductance-capacitance-resistance) network sounds more natural, musical and open, with better-defined dynamics, provided it is driven properly. Ypsilon drives it with its own transformers, wound on a special amorphous C-core with paper insulation.
The VPS 100 goes a step further with a split RIAA design: the 2123 Hz pole is formed by an air-core inductor at the first gain stage, and the 50–500 Hz poles are formed at high signal level at the output of the second stage. Both gain stages use Siemens C3g tubes, specified for 10,000 hours.
The power supply uses a 6CA4 tube rectifier and choke filter. There are no printed circuit boards: construction is point-to-point in Ypsilon's own silver wire, with the first stage and the 2123 Hz coils mechanically decoupled. For moving-coil cartridges, pair it with the MC-L step-up transformer.
Highlights
- Split passive LCR RIAA equalisation
- Two gain stages with Siemens C3g tubes
- 6CA4 tube rectifier and choke filter
- Point-to-point silver wiring, no circuit boards
Specifications
| Input impedance | 47 kΩ / 200 pF |
|---|---|
| Output impedance | 1200 Ω |
| Outputs | RCA; XLR unbalanced (pins 1 and 3 grounded) |
| Frequency response | 10 Hz – 40 kHz (−3 dB) |
| Maximum output voltage | 5 V peak @ 1 kHz · 50 V peak @ 50 Hz |
| RIAA accuracy | ±0.5 dB, 20 Hz – 20 kHz |
| Channel mismatch | < 0.2 dB |
| Gain | 39 dB |
| Power consumption | Typically 20 W |
| Dimensions (W × H × D) | 400 × 180 × 400 mm |
| Weight | 25 kg |
Reviews & press
- PDFStereophileVPS-100 phono preamplifier
- OnlineDagogoVPS 100 & MC16 step-up review
- PDFTone AudioVPS-100 review
- PDFPositive FeedbackVPS-100 review (German)
- VideoYpsilon ElectronicsPhono video
Reviews open on the publisher's website or as a PDF reprint. Some cover an earlier generation, as noted.