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For me a handful of familiar test discs are not particularly helpful in assessing audio equipment. Instead, I prefer to use a wide variety of music. The good components will usually highlight the contrasts between recordings. Traits such as musical flow, dynamic contrasts, harmonic structure and interpretation will stand out in greater relief. If I cannot differentiate Solti from Karajan or feel myself steering towards one musical genre over another, it is not going to be a good review. The typical audiophile stuff such as soundstaging and imaging are certainly welcome but ultimately secondary for me. For a more in-depth view of this somewhat radical concept as posited by Leonard Norwitz and Peter Qvortrup of Audio Note UK, point your browser here. You may disagree vehemently but it is an interesting read nonetheless. With the Fon Lo Thingee, particularly the full Monty version, I got it all.

Once well run in, the FLT with standard power supply exhibited an even tonal balance, low self-noise and a decent portrayal of instrumental and vocal texture. While revealing, the Thingee avoided coming off analytical or sterile. Having said that, the overall presentation was a little lightweight and slightly lacking in harmonic richness and dimensionality. For $349 however, I had no serious complaints. And those minor concerns evaporated once I popped in the SP cap pack and later on, the Biggie Pipe power supply.


Adding in the SP cap pack, the Thingee offered a considerably firmer, weightier bass, a richer more palpable midrange, greater inner detail and a more vibrant dimensional soundstage. Swapping out both the standard power supply and SP pack for the Biggie Pipe power supply had a similar effect as the cap pack but perhaps offered up a tad more refinement and resolution. It was difficult to say which made a bigger improvement. If forced to choose, I would go for the SP first and add the BP later, which I guarantee you will want. The full Thingee/SP/BP combo was the proverbial cat’s meow.


Here, the FLT jumped from decent entry-level phono stage to major contender. Pretty much everything I noted with Gilbert’s pricier BC707 was here - greater macro and micro dynamics, a huge expansive soundstage, more focused imaging, a robust but fleshed-out midrange, greater nuance, a weightier more solid bass and a sweeter smoother treble range. I also thought this combination nailed the timing and flow of music to a greater degree than the standard power supply. Furthermore, I was considerably more aware of the subtle nuances that differentiate recordings and interpretations from others. Simply put, there was less sameness or sense of artifice. This all contributed to a more engaging, organic and believable experience. Apart from the above noted susceptibility to nearby sources of EMI/RFI, the FLT already quiet in operation seemed even quieter with the upgrade power supplies.

Compared to my $699 Pro-Ject Tube Box, the $349 Fon Lo Thingee fell a bit short in the harmonic richness and texture department. While pitch and tempo were fine, the overall presentation was a tad on the thin and threadbare side. The Tube Box was definitely slightly euphonic with its rich warmish midrange and soft rounded bass but also offered a more dimensional soundstage and revealed a bit more of the musical message. On the other hand, that touch of euphony becomes quite noticeable after a spell and does add an unnatural if pleasing sense of sameness to the records. After adding the SP cap pack, the Thingee leapt ahead of the Pro-Ject. The soundstage opened up and the tonal balance became richer and more fleshed out. The sense of believability took a considerable step forward. The distance widened even more when I replaced the standard power supply with the Biggie Pipe. For the ridiculously low $250 price difference between Tube Box and Thingee/BP/SP combo, the latter was simply in another league of dimensionality, timing, tonal balance and low-level resolution.


I did not have the BC707 I reviewed some time ago to compare directly to the tricked-out FLT but my aural memory suggests that the Thingee came scarily close to its $2,300 cousin. In fact even if I could afford the 707, I would buy the $949 Thingee/BP/SP package instead and spend the rest on records. I could buy a lot of LPs for that $1,300 difference.


Of the several Blue Circle pieces I have reviewed, the Fon Lo Thingee is easily Gilbert’s most impressive and creative component to date. Granted, the appearance suggests all manner of crude sewer pipe jokes but these particular pipes keep the crap out and only pass on the good stuff. The aesthetics might not appeal to everyone but it is difficult to argue with the price. Regardless of configuration, the Fon Lo Thingee offers terrific value that will provide plenty of musical enjoyment for those on a tight budget - and excellent upgrade options.


In this time of economic turmoil, an inexpensive yet terrific sounding product such as the Fon Lo Thingee is truly welcome and this one fully deserving of our Realsization Award.
Quality of packing: Delivered by designer in person without packaging but based on prior experience, I expect robust packaging.
Reusability of packing: See above.
Quality of owner's manual: Single sheet available on Blue Circle’s website.
Condition of component received: Flawless.
Completeness of delivery: Perfect.
Website comments: Good. Plenty of details plus active discussion forum.
Human interactions: Professional and friendly.
Warranty: One year parts and labor.
Pricing: A bargain
Final comments & suggestions: None.


Manufacturer’s Comment: About the packaging, to keep the price down for all Thingee products, we re-use cardboard boxes and use whatever packaging material we can get. That means we re-use boxes from our suppliers, packaging material such as paper, foam peanuts etc. This is part of our effort to cut costs, be a greener company and pass along the savings to our customers. I thought I would mention this so people won't expect some fancy custom-cut foam and custom box when they receive their Fon Lo Thingee. After all, we are shipping ABS pipe that in same ways is stronger than an aluminum chassis.
Blue Circle Audio website