Regular readers following Mono & Stereo will remember the unique audiophile creations from Greece, bearing the equally intriguing name Echo Diastasis.
In this review, the brand returns to Mono & Stereo with a new line of products, reflecting the evolving landscape of the high-end audio market, which increasingly emphasizes superior performance and exquisite execution.
The new Echo Diastasis PH-79 Reference Phono Preamplifier is no exception. It’s a bold step forward and a clear indication of the direction George Loutridis is steering Echo Diastasis.
The PH-79 Reference continues the legacy of Echo Diastasis while expanding its ethos—elevating everything to a higher plane, with more prominent aesthetics and, most importantly, a significantly higher level of performance.
PH-79
Designing a phono preamplifier remains one of the true art forms in high-end audio—a pursuit that sits at the very intersection of science, passion, and musical insight.
It is a realm where numerous facets must coexist in perfect harmony: high gain, vanishingly low noise, absolute fidelity to the RIAA equalization curve, low distortion, etc.
Yet, even when these technical targets are met, a deeper challenge remains—one that separates mere circuit design from true musical presentation. A great phono stage must allow the music to breathe effortlessly and naturally. It must preserve the soul of the recording—revealing spatial cues, harmonic richness, dynamic ebb and flow, and the textured depth of low frequencies, all while rendering music unaltered at any moment.
Over the years, countless circuit topologies have occurred, trying to resolve this delicate balance—each offering something unique, yet often leaving something behind.
Echo Diastasis’s bold, uncompromising approach refuses to concede in any critical area. The PH-79 Reference phono stage comes as a statement—born from a clear vision and a relentless pursuit of analog purity.
At the heart of the PH-79 lies an original, deeply refined topology—the result of long-term research. While conventional passive RIAA implementations require additional gain stages to compensate for inherent losses—often introducing noise and distortion—Echo Diastasis has taken a different path.
The PH-79 employs two fully active stages in the RIAA network, completely free of global feedback. This ensures that each frequency band receives precisely the gain it requires—no more, no less—resulting in unmatched precision and coherence.
The split RIAA configuration further enhances performance, offering superior control and accuracy across the frequency spectrum. These two amplification stages are seamlessly followed by a discrete buffer, capable of driving even the most demanding loads with poise and authority.
Custom-designed EI-core transformers have been selected for their exceptional ability to suppress RF noise contamination from the mains supply—a critical factor in preserving microdynamics and low-level detail.
Internally, only carefully selected semiconductors, integrated circuits, and premium passive components are used. RIAA accuracy is achieved through an exacting process of measurement and component matching—four out of every five parts are rejected—making the PH-79 Reference far more than the sum of its parts: a highly refined, high-end audio product worthy of its pedigree.
The Music
As always, here are a few reference albums that highlight and pinpoint the sonic virtues and attributes of the Echo Diastasis PH-79 Reference phono preamplifier.
Chet Baker Sings: It Could Happen to You – ERC 103
Chet Baker recorded many essential albums throughout his career, but this one reveals something special—his deep connection to the American Songbook. It’s not just about interpretation; it’s about how he manages to pull something raw and emotional from these well-worn standards.
The Echo Diastasis PH-79 phono stage handled this record surprisingly well, transcending mere replay—it uncovered it.
There were details I hadn’t noticed before. Textures felt more present, and the space around the notes was a bit more alive. The sense of weight and tonal density elevated the listening experience and introduces the listener closer to the performance—unexpectedly intimate and utterly engaging.
This is the kind of musical insight that is expected—but is rarely given—at this level.
The PH-79 was depicted not just for technical excellence, but for emotional connection. It lets the music flow naturally, yet holds onto every small detail that matters: the space between notes, the decay of a cymbal, the subtle reverb from the recording space. That’s the line between a good phono stage and one that truly moves you—and the PH-79 stands firmly on the latter side.
Vocals and metallic instruments are always a test. Too often, they come out flat or overly brittle, lacking the nuances that make them feel real. But here, the PH-79 shines. With everything set just right, the reproduction is not just accurate, but alive, with a glow, a shimmer, that resonates with authenticity.
And thankfully, it avoids one of the most common pitfalls in this area: congested, nasal-sounding vocals. The PH-79 delivers voices with clarity and presence, allowing them to sit confidently in the listening sphere without a push/pull dynamic effect. The soundstage expands naturally—horizontally and vertically—giving vocals and instruments a firm, well-shaped foundation.
Schubert / Bridge SONATA for Arpeggione and Piano / SONATA for Cello and Piano Played by Mstislav Rostropovich and Benjamin Britten – ERC108
This iconic recording demands more than just the usual potency from the phono stage to faithfully portray the complex interplay between Britten and Rostropovich, and to fully unravel the emotional fabric of Schubert’s composing.
The Echo Diastasis PH-75 phono stage delivered precisely that—a sense of natural flow and dynamic authority that allowed the piano and cello to breathe in full, unforced rapport.
What stood out most profoundly was how the PH-75 never imposed itself on the music. There was no exaggerated push at forte passages, no artificial highlighting.
Instead, Echo Diastasis Reference granted each performer—and their beloved instruments—the space to unfold with refinement, allowing a coherent binding of tone and timing. The result goes beyond a pleasant encounter but unveils a unique listening experience rich in emotional gravity and musical insight.
Especially in Schubert’s Sonata, the PH-75 allowed a full expanse of Britten’s piano momentum, captivating the room with a dynamic density that shaped the very atmosphere. The decay of notes, the interwoven harmonics, and the ever-so-subtle tension in phrasing—all of it was presented with a grip on reality, pulling the listener closer into the performance, yet without ever crossing into analytical coldness.
There’s a rare quality to the PH-75’s presentation: it doesn’t just reproduce the music; it reflects the human impulse behind it. The PH-75 reveals not only the factual presence of the instruments but also touches the very crux of the music, making performers believable.
This is where the PH-75 truly rises above. It doesn’t chase technical benchmarks for the sake of spec sheets—it pursues musical truth.
And the truth is revealed in a visceral, emotionally resonant manner, what you’re left with is not just playback, but a profound musical encounter. That, indeed, is the cherry on top.
Mendelssohn – Mendelssohn In Scotland – Played by the London Symphony Orchestra and Conducted by Peter Maag – ERC107
The evocative interpretation of Mendelssohn In Scotland immediately invites the listener into a lush soundscape, yet for the full impact, the record calls for the front, capable of preserving the harmonic richness without sacrificing authority and control.
With many components, there’s often a loss in top-end air, width, and body—paired with a subtle suppression of the mid-to-low regions.
As proven over the various records, the PH-79 comes with the right synergy, enabling full orchestral bloom to be unlocked.
What stood out with PH-79 reproduction of The Electric Recording Company limited edition record, was the sense of tonal balance and refined energy, well-defined crisp transients, yet never etched.
The low end emerged focused—firm and articulate—allowing the full orchestral foundation to anchor the performance while still subsisting, expanding the soundstage to unfold effortlessly across the spectrum, allowing each section of the orchestra to occupy its sonic plane without collapsing into congestion.
Echo Diastasis instantly welcomes a sense of unity and togetherness throughout the entire score, bestowing a unified yet richly layered sonic palette felt —imbued with a top-tier-level depth, refined tonal palette, and upper plane transient control.
The Electric Recording Company mastering and pressing quality of Mendelssohn In Scotland don’t just replay the music but bring it into an intriguingly close approximation. A bold statement, that I more than often avoid, yet PH-79’s capability of delivering natural movement and energy, filled the need.
Whether focusing on a solo woodwind passage or the sweeping dynamics of a full crescendo, with Echo Diastasis Reference everything maintained a profound sense of order and emotional impact.
PH-79 phono preamplifier introduced a more expanded aural experience, more open—not in an artificially inflated sense, but with a genuine sense of acoustic realism.
ERC107 vinyl record was mastered, cut, and pressed with purpose and precision and Echo Diastasis analog front end further solidified this impression, allowing the music to unfold with its full narrative weight—untouched, unfiltered, and undeniably moving.
Gil Scott-Heron – Pieces Of A Man – ERC097
Released in 1971, the iconic Pieces of a Man distills Gil Scott-Heron’s inimitable fusion of jazz, soul, and blues into a timeless, thought-provoking sonic statement. The album resonates far beyond its era, blending poignant lyrical commentary with deeply soulful undercurrents, proposing a mirror to its time and a window into emotional and political truths that still echo today.
What makes Pieces of a Man so enduring is not just the message, but the way it’s begotten—with a mesmerizing interplay of poetic vocal delivery, tight bass lines, lock-and-load rhythmic magnetism, and holographic ambiance.
PH-79 Reference phono stage exudes a rich, assertive weight, shaped in part by the proximity effect that grants the immense, focused low end with a beautifully dense presence—never muddy, but rather full-bodied and naturally commanding.
With the right phono stage and system synergy, the flatness and brittleness that often plague reissues of this era fall away and Echo Diastasis Reference is fittable on so many levels.
The PH-79 allows the music to become silkier when the composition calls for such finesse, always poised to unveil a dimensional bloom. Gil Scott-Heron’s voice is projected with palpable presence, set within an enveloping soundstage where instruments occupy their own clearly defined space across a wide and deep acoustic canvas.
With the PH-79, the entire frequency spectrum opens up—wider, fuller, and more resolved. From the gentle pluck of a bass string to the nuanced texture of brushed percussion, Pieces of a Man reveals not only the sophistication of its production but also the meticulous effort by ERC to revive these sonic treasures with reverence and precision.
In the right high-end audio setting, Pieces of a Man is not merely replayed—it is re-experienced. And here lies the magic of Echo Diastasis Reference.
By permitting access to what feels like an endless reservoir of micro and macro detail, the PH-79 never falters in decoding the wealth of information carved into the grooves. It cements a truth often forgotten: how absolutely vital a thoughtfully executed analog front end is to unlocking music’s true emotional and spatial depth.
The Conclusion
I could easily gel with the Echo Diastasis PH-79 Reference phono preamplifier. There are many phono stages on the market, and I’ve tried numerous iterations over the years, many offering a sense of anticlimax after just a few songs. Quite the opposite, the PH-79 renders music differently, making the listening experience exciting and relaxed, with all the attributes that make analog playback a great experience.
The biggest challenge with any phono preamplifier design is balancing noise and dynamics without the sound becoming either aggressive or muffled. The PH-79 is a great example of proper equilibrium. It avoids rounding off transients, retains the weight of each note, and allows transitions from pitch to tone to happen seamlessly. It is also fast enough to shape timing and fully reveal what is dynamically hidden in the grooves.
The PH-79 preserves the rawness of the sound and provides a stable stereo image across the spectrum. It avoids murkiness in the treble and blurriness in the lower register. At any time, the lows are full and deep, the highs are well-defined, and the midrange comes with the needed weight.
The PH-79’s transient reproduction blows many even pricier phono stages away, with stand-out response and no need to hunt for any detail buried between the fundamentals, as is often necessary with similar phono stages.
Many phono stages in this price range or above make the sound recede into the speakers, yet the PH-79 offers a sense of cohesion that sounds natural without adding unnecessary warmth. It rather expands in depth, further revealing subtle harmonic richness.
Improper gain staging in a phono preamplifier leads to a brittle sonic character but PH-79 warps perceptions of how a phono stage should sound with its “something extra” that is far from subtle.
Unlike many phono stages, Echo Diastasis Reference is not sonically scaled down. I can’t say the same for many phono stages, even much pricier ones, which often have an artificial edge to the sound.
The PH-79 preserves the natural spectral content across the entire frequency spectrum, giving that fundamental quality that allows music layers to expand with fast, controlled bass, open and detailed mids, and an overall effortlessness not present in many other phono stages.
The PH-79 goes against the contemporary trend of sonic dissection by emphasizing rhythmic precision and focus on what is hidden within the grooves, rather than emphasizing any sonic particularities.
With many phono stages, I can instantly sense a lack of focus that emphasizes warmth—a quality reminiscent of older designs. The PH-79 builds on the shoulders of giants but brings phono amplification into the 21st century.
Many high-end audio companies have already started shifting their focus from affordable to higher-performing, more premium products. Echo Diastasis is no different.
The company’s founder, Loutridis, comes with longstanding design experience and has stepped up with a new line of reference products that not only look more refined but also introduce a new level of performance.
While numerous audio brands focus on luxury features, often concentrating only on the outer shell, Echo Diastasis has taken the opposite approach.
Under the hood, the PH-79 has a mighty heart encircled by a stylish appearance that stands out at first glance, and it connects to the listener’s core within the first few notes when the needle hits the grooves.
It’s relatively easy to design a phono stage these days, but it’s not easy to create something meaningful and attention-grabbing. This is where the PH-79 truly differs, introducing a significant shift of expectations.
Given its price (far from entry-level), Echo Diastasis Reference exceeds expectations, hitting hard at the upper level of reproduction,
Its emotionally engaging and enticing performance leaves a lingering positive effect that calls for repeated listening and exploration of one’s record collection.
I don’t think I can give a higher compliment to a product, regardless of its price tag.
These days, it’s all about performance, appearance, and the story behind the brand and designer—and the Echo Diastasis PH-79 delivers on all fronts.
For these reasons, I’m more than happy to bestow upon this Greek phono stage our “Highly Recommended” award.
George exercises his talent to the fullest with the PH-79, taking Echo Diastasis into a new era. ❖
The Price
- 11,000 EUR with VAT
Specifications
- Zero negative Feedback
- Audiophile Dual-Mono Circuit Design
- E-core transformer
- Gold plated Connectors, Teflon insulated
- Inputs: 2 pair RCA phono sockets
- Outputs: 1 pair RCA phono socket
- Output impedance <200Ω
- Input impedance 47Ω,100Ω,220Ω,470Ω,1kΩ and 47kΩ
- Gain (Selectable): MM 43dB, MC (high) 61dB, MC (low) 67dB
- THD: MM: 0,007 / MC: 0,027% (316mVrms, 1kHz)
- Noise floor: MM: -90dB (A weighted with 5mV input), MC: -79dB (A weighted with 0,5mV input)
- RIAA-equalization curve accuracy: <0,05dB / 20Hz-100kHz
- Dimensions (WxDxH)465x340x115 mm
- Weight: 9kg
Contact
Address:31st August street 67
Phone: +30 (2410) 552 802
Email: info@echodiastasis.com
Website: www.echodiastasis.com