Spinning Brand X’s Livestock, which is full of heavy drumming and bass guitar, immediately reveals the character of the Nagra Compact Phono. Accurate, dynamic, highly resolving, and tonally correct – just like every other Nagra component I’ve reviewed and owned over the last 20 years. The first thing that hits me with the Compact is how natural it sounds tonally, and how dynamic it is. As it’s a perennial favorite over there, Deep Purple’s Made in Japan had to be next. Yeah, “Smoke on the Water” totally rocked.
Where Nagra’s Classic and HD phono stages deliver even more performance, greater adjustability, and more inputs, the Compact, at about $5,950, is a perfect match for someone building a high-performance audio system in the $30,000-$100,000 range. Which, incidentally, is the bulk of our readership. And the Compact has the core, unmistakably clean and clear Nagra sound.
Looking inside, the layout of the Compact bears resemblance to the Nagra BPS phono stage from a few years ago. Nagra’s Matthieu Latour reveals, “We started with the BPS and decided what to keep or not. The major difference is the PSU. Along with a complete re-design of the PCB.” He goes on to mention that the casework helps the sound, and that they did extensive work with upping the power supply voltage from 9v in the BPS to 12v here – to match their current external power supplies. “As you can see it sings.”
Nagra is the world’s premier manufacturer of audio gear that delivers big sound in a compact form factor. The main inspiration for this comes from decades of making portable tape recorders and recording equipment – used by filmmakers worldwide. Don’t ever let the small size fool you, Nagras always deliver top performance.
The phrase “Swiss precision” is often associated with the Swiss watch industry, yet everything made by Nagra is every bit as precisely executed as any Swiss watch. When recording halfway around the world in a jungle, desert, or on an Apollo spacecraft (yes, Nagras were even used in outer space) there’s no margin for a breakdown. That is the level of quality you can expect from any Nagra product.
To expedite this review and save our buds at Nagra the shipping complexity, our review sample came from Unveiled Audio, oddly enough, just 15 miles down the road from our studio and about a mile away from the newly built In-N-Out Burger. A quick drive with the top down in the Alfa scores the Nagra and a Double-Double (yeah, animal style) in short order. Life doesn’t get much better. Should you be looking for a Nagra, please reach out to the proprietor, JC, at www.unveilsound.com. Tell him I sent you. He has also just hooked us up with the Compact DAC/Streamer, so look for that review shortly.
At the risk of sounding like a fanboy, I’m over the moon at having a Nagra dealer four freeway exits away.
Cursory comparisons
We chose four other phono stages to compare the Compact to, to put it in perspective. The Pass XP-17 ($5,495), the Boulder 508 ($5,895), the MoFi Studio Phono ($6,000), and the Nagra Classic Phono. ($22,000) This was indeed interesting. The main reference system used consists of the new Klipschorn AK7 speakers, a six-pack line array of REL HT1510 subwoofers, powered by the ampsandsound Bryce monoblocks, and the Pass Labs HPA-1C preamplifier. The new Thorens TD124DD table with Ortofon TD124/SPU cartridge was used for the majority of the vinyl listening, with the Nagra Compact set to 38 ohms. The Compact is shipped with 100 ohm loading, but other loads are available from your Nagra Dealer. Since the Ortofon SPU works well with 100 ohms, we stayed with that.
You can change loading via jacks on the rear panel with loading plugs that look like old-school fuses – it’s much easier than removing the panel and moving jumpers, as is required with other Nagras. Another cartridge that proves to be an excellent match with 100 ohm loading and the Thorens table is the Denon 103r. Swapping the SPU for a traditional headshell gives the system a punchier, rounder personality that honestly works well with the Klipschorns.
It’s also important to mention here that the Compact has a single phono cartridge input and is only compatible with MC cartridges. Unlike the earlier Nagra BPS (and the other Nagra phonos) that offer a MM option, this is an MC phono stage only. Not wanting to pre-judge, but I’m guessing that if you’re buying a six-thousand-dollar phono stage, you’ve probably graduated beyond MM. Especially if you only have one table.
The Boulder is a bit more dynamic and allows for MM, but is not as tonally saturated as the Nagra. They are both excellent; however,, the Boulder uses a high-gain circuit, and the Nagra uses medium gain with its custom step-up transformers. These are high-precision step-up devices, wound in-house at Nagra. As are the rest of their transformers. Having owned the Boulder and had good luck with it, I still think highly of this piece.
The Mofi has three inputs, and one of them is transimpedance, which is very cool if you need three inputs. However, if this is your requirement, the Nagra does not make sense. In terms of ultimate fidelity, however, the Nagra still reveals more music in every way but noise floor. They are both incredibly quiet.
The Pass Labs XP-17 delivers bigger dynamics than the Nagra or the Boulder, and balanced outputs, but less inner detail and delicacy. Loading is via dip switches on the rear panel.
To be fair, these are all closer in sound than they are different, so on many levels it comes down to form and function. Like all other Nagra components, you can add an external power supply, increasing dynamic range and lowering noise. However, at that point, you might consider searching out a nice, used Nagra VPS tube phono stage with two inputs. Given how Nagra gear is made, it will outlive you. But we’re getting away from the original brief, and it’s not like you can just call up your local dealer and find a used VPS.
Unbox and setup
If you aren’t using an upgraded external power supply, unboxing and setup couldn’t be easier. When you unbox the Compact, you instantly feel the quality of its casework, which is machined from a single aluminum billet. There is a small 12V standard external power supply, and the Compact has additional regulation built in on the chassis. For simplicity, there is a single input and a single output, both RCA. A good move on Nagra’s part, as it puts every dollar into the component’s performance rather than duplicating inputs and outputs or unnecessary switching. This also keeps noise to a minimum. Efficient indeed. As the Pass HPA-1C has a small form factor, it was easy to put the compact right on top of it with a pair of Cardas Clear ½ meter RCA interconnects.
In terms of sheer musical output, the Compact offers a substantial helping of what Nagra accomplishes in its much more expensive tubed phono stages. Granted, the $22,000 Classic sitting on a VFS platform can reveal more minute detail, and by the nature of the tubed circuit, more of that reach out and touch it thing, that only great tubed circuits can deliver. The Compact is indeed impressive. Nagra has a mini VFS platform for the Compact components in the works, and Latour informs me that it is now available.
However, this is where keeping things simple also keeps the cost down and the level of performance up.
Further listening
Running a wide gamut of music from EDM to classical, the Compact is a sheer joy to use. Thanks to the six-pack of REL subs used with my Klipschorns, the system goes deep. This speaker/sub combination reveals three things. First, at a 103db/1-watt sensitivity it is merciless at revealing background noise. The Compact passes this with ease.
Second, it is incredibly dynamic. With a maximum volume level of 136dB and a minimum of 36dB in my room, this system is explosive to say the least. The combination of the Compact and the Ortofon cartridge brings drums, percussion, and stringed instruments to life convincingly. Live music is reproduced with “you are there” realism, right down to audience applause. Ironically, this can be as much of a judge of a component’s ability as reproducing music. Should you make the Compact part of your system, play a favorite live track, and listen to the spatial cues from the audience response. It sounds scarily real.
Third, this little phono pre has solid bass drive with a lot of texture. The six RELs can pin you back in your chair, whether listening to Stanley Clarke or Flea. Incidentally, the Chili Pepper’s bassists’ new record has a decidedly jazzy vibe. The closing track, “Free as I Want to Be” is really funky and layered, really showing how the Nagra can extract the maximum amount of detail without ever being harsh.
Moving the Compact to the main reference system, it gives up no quarter – even playing through the gigantic Clarisys Auditorium ribbons and six-pack of REL Carbon Special subs, this time mated to an SME20 with Hana Urushi Red. The increased resolution of this system in some ways further illustrates just how much music this mighty little phono pre can deliver.
The same can be said for all of the Music Matters Blue Notes in my collection. While it might seem that Nagra gear is made for the rapid dynamics of bop jazz, remember – they are a Montreux Jazz Festival Technical Partner. They do a lot of listening, and it shows.
Standout virtue
If you are a single-turntable vinyl enthusiast that settles in on one cartridge, and doesn’t need multiple tonearms, or multiple tables, and stays there, the Nagra Compact Phono offers a major peek at five-figure phono preamplifier performance. By eliminating the bigger box, all the switching, multiple inputs, etc etc, it’s one of those sweet spots where you are paying for only what you need.
The Nagra Compact delivers maximum music with no frills. It’s the embodiment of Swiss precision, served up with soul and humanity. Certainly, one of the finest examples I’ve heard at this price point in terms of sheer musicality. It indeed “sings.” -Jeff Dorgay
https://www.nagraaudio.com/product/nagra-compact-phono/
