VANGUARD II - Phono Amplifier
Black Front / Black Chassis - Trigon

Phono Stage · MM / MC · Made in Germany

A cartridge can only ever sound as good as the phono stage allows it to. That is precisely where the Trigon Vanguard II comes in: a compact MM/MC phono preamplifier from a German manufactory, built to a standard that is unusually high for its price class — and offering a depth of adjustment normally found only on considerably more expensive designs. Gain in 16 steps from 42 to 66 dB, input impedance in 31 steps from 25 Ω to 1,800 Ω plus 47 kΩ for MM, and three switchable capacitance values: with that, virtually any common cartridge can be dialled in with real precision.

The Vanguard II is designed and hand-built by Trigon Elektronik GmbH in Fuldabrück near Kassel. Since founding the company in 1996, Ralf Kolmsee and Rainer Reddemann have pursued a clear goal: durable, value-retaining and affordable audio components that do not chase trends but mature through steady, ongoing development. For many years now, the Vanguard II has been the finest example of that philosophy — a genuine little high-end amplifier with manufactory credentials, which can be taken a significant step further sonically at any time with the Volcano III battery power supply.

Correctly matching phono stage and cartridge is one of the most effective — and least expensive — ways to improve the sound of an analogue front end. A poorly matched stage squanders dynamics, resolution and tonal balance, and even the finest cartridge will never show what it is truly capable of. On the Vanguard II, everything is set via externally accessible switch banks: there is no need to open the case, so different settings can be auditioned and compared at leisure. It is a convenience that many rivals, even considerably pricier ones, simply do not offer.

Gain runs from 42 dB — ideal for classic MM cartridges — up to 66 dB. That allows the Vanguard to drive even very low-output moving-coil cartridges with ease and without a step-up transformer: writing for the US magazine Stereophile, Michael Fremer ran the Vanguard II directly with a Lyra Helikon SL, which delivers a mere 0.22 mV. For MC, input impedance can be selected in 31 fine steps between 25 Ω and 1,800 Ω, while MM gets the standard 47 kΩ. In addition, the base capacitance of 60–100 pF can be increased by 47, 100 or 147 pF — important for fine-tuning the treble of MM cartridges.

Sonically, the Vanguard II comes across as unflustered, calm and supremely assured. Its centre of gravity is a particularly clear, expressive midrange: voices stand in the room with real body, and instruments retain their natural timbre. The treble is gently reined in, lending the overall presentation a pleasing smoothness — SoundStage! likewise describes its voicing as slightly warm. Older pressings with a somewhat harsh recording quality, or edgy string passages, benefit audibly from this, without any loss of detail.

Carefully selected low-noise components ensure an inky-black background from which the music can unfold freely. With 63 dB of channel separation and a signal-to-noise ratio of 67 dB, the Vanguard II measures at a level that is by no means a given in its class. A practical everyday advantage: the outboard power supply keeps hum away from the sensitive signal path and allows the compact amplifier to sit right next to the turntable — short phono cables included.

Worth knowing for your first listening sessions: like many high-quality phono stages, the Vanguard II needs a certain amount of run-in time before it reveals its full potential — a point the hi-fi press makes explicitly, too.

The real highlight of the Vanguard concept is its upgrade path. With the optional Trigon Volcano III, the phono stage can be converted to battery operation at any time, without any technical modification. The Volcano III is simply connected between the floor-standing mains supply and the Vanguard II, and its matching, identically sized enclosure sits right beside or beneath it. Two sealed lead-gel batteries with microprocessor-controlled charging then take over the power supply — in pure mains mode, in combined battery/mains mode, or fully disconnected from the mains. On pure battery power, the Vanguard II plays for around six hours on a single charge.

The sonic difference is clear: freed from mains-borne interference, the already sharply focused soundstage becomes even more precise, dynamics open up further and the background grows quieter still. The gap to its bigger sibling, the Trigon Advance, shrinks to a minimum. The Vanguard II thus grows with its owner's ambitions — a concept that protects your investment.

Numerous reviews underline the Vanguard II's high standards. German magazine STEREO (issue 06/2009) awarded it a sound rating of 85 % and rated its value for money as "excellent"; the reviewers praised its lively, coherent and spacious presentation as well as its comprehensive adjustability for MM and MC cartridges. In a group test by Pulsfrequenz, the Vanguard II took first place out of six — as the least expensive contender, it left pricier rivals behind in many respects.

The Vanguard II enjoys an excellent reputation internationally, too: Stereophile writer Michael Fremer credited it, in combination with the battery supply, with the deepest and widest soundstage of the field, the greatest dynamic contrasts, and imaging that could hold its own against far more expensive phono stages. His verdict: an outstanding-sounding, competently designed and built phono preamplifier. Taken together — feel, sound, build quality and German manufactory standards — the Vanguard II is practically without rival in its price class.