Sutherland KC Vibe Mk2 Phonostage Reviews

4.9 Rating 47 Reviews

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Phone:

909.931.9686

Email:

joel.m@upscaleaudio.com

Location:

2058 Wright Avenue,
2058 Wright Avenue
California
91750

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Daniel Gallegos

Verified Reviewer

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Posted 3 years ago

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Posted 3 years ago

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Posted 3 years ago

Tyler Vandeventer

Unverified Reviewer

“Sean-Paul set me up with this phono stage and a clear audio concept wood with the carbon satisfy arm, along with a low output Hana MC cartridge. What a fantastic sounding package. Thanks for all the guidance and care!”

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Posted 3 years ago

“All I hear is 'Music', wonderful music. Open, airy, and clear. I can't say enough about the combination of the Sutherland KC Vibe Mk2 with the Hana M series Phono cartridge on the Marantz TT, on how great it sounds. AND a couple of weeks past, SUTHERLAND sent an up-graded power supply, (I thought the original was good), NO CHARGE! Now that's putting your customer First. Before profits or anything else. It speaks on how Sutherland views their company and the products they provide. INTEGRITY.”

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Posted 3 years ago

Rich Parsons

Verified Reviewer

“Simply amazing value for the money,ridiculously good not just for the price but the performance is jaw dropping”

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Posted 3 years ago

“I bought this to add more gain to the Hana SL I also purchased. The KC Vibe was a good performer - it was musical, quiet, and had sufficient gain, and for the money, it performed well, but not to the level of the 2x the price EAR 834p I already owned. It had a bit shallower soundstage, and was more polite than my system needed. I peeked inside and the components looked very top notch. My only disappointment was the walwart power supply - you have to buy the Insight to get a better power supply. Ken @ Upscale recommended either the Sutherland 20/20 with the upgraded power supply, or the Manley Chinook SE, both of which were 2-2.5x the cost. I ended up choosing the Manley Chinook SE as it had 65db of gain (more than the stock Chinook) which the Hana SL really needed, plus I tend to prefer tubes. The Manley was FANTASTIC. Amazing build quality and the sound was significantly improved over both my EAR and the KC Vibe. If you are looking for a solid, musical, and competent entry level audiophile phono stage and don't want to spend over $1k, the KC Vibe would be a good option. But I would highly recommend going up the food chain and choosing the 20/20 (skip the Insight which is a Vibe with a better power supply), or the Manley. Ken was a hero - really being neutral in his suggestions but giving me enough useful feedback on sound characteristics to be able to make the right choice (I bought these unheard as I was out of state). Shipping was lightning fast. Ken even followed up with loading recommendations which proved spot-on!”

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Posted 3 years ago