"“(The Phono III) delivers a presentation in which you find yourself utterly and inescapably immersed in musical expression, never caught up in "the sound." … one of the most affordable phono stages that can pull off this ultimate ‘vanishing’ act.”
Greg Weaver, Enjoy the Music
"If you are looking for a phono preamp with a timbral “personality,” the Phono III might not be for you. It hasn’t got one, not that I could identify. But if you want a phono preamp that gets out of the way and lets your cartridge or cartridges express their timbral personalities—all transducers have them to one degree or another—the Phono III could be for you."
Michael Fremer, Stereophile, July 2021
"The DSA Pre I is an exemplary product that easily entices audiophile, technocratic and music lover minds...[it] is easy to use, comes with impressive adjustability and most importantly it possesses the sonic potency that repeatedly glued me to my beloved listening chair.."
Matej Isak, Mono & Stereo (who also awarded the Pre I an "Upper Echelon" Award)
"DSA Phono II is one of the most involving and transparent phono preamplifiers I've had the luxury to try so far, with the sense of real drama and impressive density that allows countless hours of rediscovering the very essence of the beloved and familiar black discs."
Matej Isak, Mono & Stereo (who also awarded the Phono II a "Highly Recommended" Award)
"Enjoy the Music awarded the Pre I their coveted "Blue Note Award"."
Click here to read the announcement
"The sound had that effortless quality that’s reminiscent of the real thing, with fine dynamics, tonal accuracy, and reasonable bass response (no subwoofer here)."
Darryl Lindberg, Part-Time Audiophile
Click here to read the full review
“This is one stirring performer; one that is laden with truly useful features like the variable gain selection, phase inversion, and a headphone jack…My hat is off to DSA for its inclusion. Further, it is a pure joy to operate. At this price point, one would expect it to perform well, but, sadly, not all gear that sounds this remarkable, has such stately and pleasing aesthetics or offers such a high degree of functionality.”
Greg Weaver, Enjoy the Music
Click here to read the full review
“The DSA Phono II is an outstanding phono stage simply on the merits of its abilities to emotionally engage the listener in a compelling, transparent, tonally accurate, and ultimately musical manner. The fact that it can do this with inputs for three cartridges/turntables/tonearms only makes its appeal that much more alluring.”
Rafe Arnott, Part-Time Audiophile
Click here to read the full review
"“I could feel myself and the crowd responding to every record…All this added up to nothing more than simple flavor-filled, natural sound. Like pure organic food, all-natural audio don't come easy…”
Herb Reichert, Stereophile
Click here to read the full report
“The system had a relaxing inviting quality that made you want to stay and listen to the next record, no boom, bass was tight, superb vocals, and a great stage.”
Kemper Holt, Enjoy the Music
Click here to read the full report
"VPI Avenger tables seemed to be everywhere at RMAF, but none looked better than the Avenger in the Joseph Audio/VPI/DSA/Parasound room. I have to give a shout out to the DSA Phono II phono stage"
Mark Pearson, Positive Feedback
Click here to read the full report
"This is what it's all about!"
Sasha Matson, Stereophile
Click here to read the full report
"Okay, my payoff. I very much wanted to revisit the DSA room on the show's third and last day. I did, it paid off. The room wins a "Gold Show Award" for sound. For a natural and enveloping sound with very good detail."
Terry Eringi, AV Showrooms
"Best Sound at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2014"
Awarded by the High Fidelity Design Group
Click here to read the full report
"If you like warm and soft the DSA (Phono) II is definitely not for you, but if you like speed and transparency without glare, grain, edge or etch and you value dynamics (of which LPs are definitely capable) the DSA delivers."
Michael Fremer about the Phono II posted on August 20, 2014 at Analog Planet.
Click here to read the full review
"It bridges the gap between tubes and solid state with a wonderful and very holographic sound... It just might take any glare you have in your phono system away. Wonderful performance."
Peter Breuninger, about the Phono II posted on April, 2014 at AV Showrooms.
"...among the most dynamic if not the most dynamically expressive phono preamps I've yet heard, particularly on the bottom."
"... tonally neutural, fast, well-extended, transparent, superclean, ultradynamic and superbly detailed."
"It's top end performance was addictively open and transparent with no hint of glare, grain or glaze."
Michael Fremer about the Phono II in Analog Corner: Stereophile October, 2013
Click here to read the full review and Doug Hurlburt's "Manufacturer's' Comment"
"The DSA Phono-ONE is simply the most involving, musical, and natural sounding phono preamplifier, possessing an unparalleled ability to reconstitute the message contained by the recording, in my personal experience. I cannot recall having heard its peer, let alone a conqueror."
Greg Weaver about the first edition of the Phono-ONE posted at Positive Feedback Online November/December 2004