Product Description
Taking its name from the historically rich city in which it’s built, and featuring a new narrow, deep case to easily sit alongside turntable control devices, the Sutherland KC Vibe mk2 MM/MC phono preamplifier plays music with the same vibrancy, spirit, confidence, and unassuming demeanor that have for decades defined Kansas City’s 18th and Vine district. KC Vibe mk2 isn’t just about technical details or internal parts – though it comes up aces in both regards and places a premium on each domain. Rather, this sub-$1k audiophile gem gives credence to both provenance and ethos, facets that cannot be weighed monetarily or by mathematical measurement. One listen to the warmth, detail, imaging, and soundstaging and you’ll recognize KC Vibe mk2 carries on the tradition of Count Basie, Charlie Parker, and more – a legacy that communicates the significance of purity, realness, focus, and integrity. This, after all, is what matters when connecting to your favorite LPs and the artistic statements within them.
Like all U.S.-made Sutherland products, KC Vibe mk2 touts forward-thinking engineering and a straightforward design approach intended to deliver unforgettable listening experiences. Unafraid to reconsider premises most manufacturers take for granted, Ron Sutherland constructed KC Vibe mk2 with a 48-volt outboard power supply to correct an array of longstanding deficiencies. A component is only as good as its power supply – the foundation for creating the output signal. KC Vibe mk2’s 48-volt unit solves issues of limited power, limited filtering, limited regulation, limited quality, and limited voltage. In KC Vibe mk2, filtering isn’t determined by the external power supply. Instead, an extensive, passive RC filtering network completely removes any incoming residue and completely isolates the audio circuitry from both the AC power line and outboard power supply. Rated for more than 500,000 hours mean time between failure, the military-spec power supply allows for a huge margin for reference-grade filtering and isolation – 30 clean, quiet volts, to be specific. When it comes down to performance – determined by effective filtering, isolation, regulation, voltage, and power quality – KC Vibe mk2 owns the advantage.
Internally, KC Vibe mk2 touts many of the same premium parts used in other, more expensive Sutherland phono preamplifiers. It also claims two Wima polypropylene film capacitors, new low-impedance electrolytic capacitors, two Burr-Brown op amps, a reconfigured printed circuit board, and revised outer metal work. The circuit topology, passive RC filtering, and meticulous craftsmanship adhere to Sutherland’s previous proven techniques.
