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Functionally elaborate with MM/MC phono, five digital inputs, RCA/XLR i/o ports; with a vault-type construction and an uncommonly luxurious solid wooden wand… there's no doubt that even for its elevated price class Fonel’s Renaissance is a rather opulent proposition. And in certain aspects one might also sonically refer to it as luxurious. That's true relative to its soundstaging, airiness, a particular pairing of micro resolution, precision and silkiness and last but not least to its infectious playfulness. In these regards it really performs quite extraordinarily. Unless one approached it from a bottom-up perspective built upon low bass might, this is a preamp which those who are suitably liquid must audition before any final decisions are made.

Psych profile
  • A real flair for infectious, fast and microdynamically extraordinary performances.
  • A bona fide high-end treble range – airy and supremely resolved yet never analytically strident.
  • Pleasantly warm organic mids with a somewhat lighter than fully built-out bass register.
  • Very broad, precise, stable and inviting soundstaging with agreeable space between individual performers.
  • High practicality by way of comprehensive featurization and first-rate build quality. Some may miss a ‘real’ volume wheel or bemoan the somewhat illegible (small) descriptors of the multitudinous mini buttons.
  • An internal DAC of good quality though it was bested by my high-quality external solutions.

Facts
  • Category: Full-function preamp
  • Weight: 16kg
  • Dimensions: 430 x 105 x 340mm (W x H x D)
  • Trim: Mahogany, Nut, Ash, Rosewood
  • Chassis: Black or pearl-beige gloss; other finishes or wood species by request and for a surcharge
  • Power consumption at standby/idle: ca. 1/40 watts respectively
  • Inputs: Analog – 4 x RCA incl. tape, 2 x XLR, MM/MC phono; digital - 2 x coax, 2 x USB, 1 x Toslink
  • Outputs: 2 x XLR, 2 x RCA, tape, 6.3mm headphone
  • Other: Solid wood remote wand, upscale power cord
  • Warranty: 2 years (6 months for tubes)
redaktion @ fairaudio.de

Fonel website