Lindemann Limetree Phono II

A no-frills moving magnet/moving coil option of considerable ability

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Don't judge it on appearances. The unassuming casework hides a phono-circuit design of considerable merit, and a sonic performance that rivals the best at this price.

The Limetree Phono II is small, barely taking up more shelf space than a coaster. At 295g, it is light too. So, while it is easy to tuck away, be warned that heavy or stiff interconnects can and will drag it off the shelf. As with other phono stages, keep it away from anything with a large power transformer to minimise hum levels.

Its aluminium casework is solidly made and nicely finished. The front-panel toggle switch powers up the unit and also switches it between moving magnet and moving-coil options. On the back are dedicated inputs for each cartridge type and a single stereo RCA output. Power is provided by a separate plug-mounted supply.

As with any serious phono stage, there is a choice of cartridge-loading options for its moving-coil input, providing a range of resistances from 50 to 400 ohms, accessible via a set of dipswitches on the back panel. This spread of values should be enough to cover any conventionally specified, price comparable MC cartridge. Its moving-magnet input is specified at a pretty standard 47kOhms/150pF loading.