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Am I saying that the E03 will serve modern music listeners better while the NAT might be more appropriate for classical and vocal music? Almost but not quite. Take James Brown Live at the Apollo for example. The E03 offered the raw energy of the moment completely unfiltered; the Flight Phono made the record sound good at the expense of the primal event; and the NAT delivered a completely different take on that night by making Brown the pivotal element of the performance but gently blurring out the surrounding ambiance. James Brown was intact in all his intensity but the rest of the room was not. Complete rawness, complete smoothing or selective energizing – pick your favorite. I lean towards unfiltered, warts and all, but the NAT's presentation had its merits too. It made the audition easier whilst preserving the essentials.

What the photos reveal is that the E03 was mostly reviewed in my old music room whereas most of the listening over the NAT Signature took place in my still mostly unfamiliar new room (the first third of the review though took place in the old room to allow for sufficiently comparable references). One thing I already know for sure is that the new room is leaner, faster and quieter. It makes the preservation of the harmonic fabric of the music more critical. Previously speed, dynamic and control were of the utmost importance. Upstairs and by a long shot, I liked the E03 better for the adrenaline injection it gave my system and the clarity it brought. Downstairs I enjoy both for their radically different qualities. Each reveals another aspect of the music. I have not heard the Flight Phono in the downstairs room but suspect it would do quite well, probably being closer to the E03's overall presentation but with greater density and slightly less jump factor.

What this exemplifies is the merely relative value of reviews. Everything matters, not just the associated gear (which in this case remained the same) but also the characteristics of the room and in the case of phono stages, the more or less successful match with one’s cartridge of choice. I think the fundamental qualities of each preamplifier will remain but their successful synergistic integration will vary greatly. That’s nothing new under the sun, just an important reminder that reviews are not gospel as many want them to be. They're merely opinions rendered at a given point in time by one individual in the context of a specific system.

That said, the NAT is definitely not a preamplifier to amaze or dazzle, at least not on a first or second date. Over time its extreme refinement may very well have your vote and for that reason even a few hours in a hifi store may be very misleading when it comes to assessing the true qualities of the Signature Phono. It’s a piece of equipment that needs to be savored at home over time. The sound is not as forcefully dynamic or detailed as the E03's nor as saturated as the Flight Phono's. But as Srajan put it so well in his feature article on the Ocellia speakers, "the sound [...] was the most refined, non-mechanical, liquid, organic and resolved sound I've experienced yet." This also fits the NAT quite well. Even after setting the loading right, it took me time to fully understand what the Signature Phono is all about as it certainly won’t throw its version of the truth in your face. After many hours of listening to your vinyl collection, you might get a feeling that your system has made yet another step in the right direction, not towards more detail, slam and exuberance but towards that non-mechanical, liquid and organic sound Srajan described without any of the deleterious effects of heavy-handed harmonic distortion that may be attractive at first but quickly becomes systematic coloration. None of that is the case with the Signature Phono. If it has the qualities of triodes in spades, their usual weaknesses have been successfully avoided.



If you are into heavy bass and explosive dynamics, the NAT won’t be right but it you desire a slightly more easeful presentation with extreme finesse, it does qualify without a doubt (the emphasis is on slightly as the NAT is not bland or contrived, just no show-off).  Of course the NAT is also the most expensive phono stage of my three top contenders. At $7500 it is actually $1600 more expensive than the E03 and $1400 more than the Flight Phono. Yet one must consider that battery operation requires no after-market power cord to sound its best and that the provided basic cord is sufficient. Depending on your connectors of choice, that's a saving which could range from a few hundred dollars to thousands, making the NAT more competitive than it appears at first.


Six months ago I was completely seduced by the NAT Symmetrical’s sonics and musicality. The NAT Signature Phono is a very proud member of the same family and its minor operational sins will not be a problem for the vast majority. Once set up properly, those functional aspects will never be noticed again. If refinement, elegance and triode magic are on your most-wanted list for a phono preamplifier, the NAT belongs at the very top of your must-listen priorities. This Epilogue reports on my concluding impressions after I'd completed the 6th installment of this review series.

Quality of packing: Wooden crate and generous padding.
Reusability of packing: Multiple uses.
Ease of unpacking/repacking: No issue (the lid of the crate is screwed on so an electric screw driver is a good idea).
Condition of component received: Flawless.
Completeness of delivery: No issue.
Quality of owner's manual: Simple but complete. English translation a little confusing at times but mostly understandable.
Website comments:  Complete and informative.
Global distribution: See website, growing global availability.
Human interactions: Always responsive and helpful (US distributor).
Pricing: Not unreasonable based on build quality and performance although at that price competitive phono stages offer greater functionality but not necessarily better musicality.
Final comments & suggestions: The NAT Signature Phono is a component that will take time to be fully understood and appreciated so a rushed audition will not treat it fairly. Take it home, give it time and dive into its mature organic fluid way with the music. Not the very last word in dynamics or resolution but a superb example of the refinement which triodes excel at.
NAT Audio website