Soulnote E-2 ver.2 Phono Stage Earns Praise for Natural, Musical Sound as a product ‘for the ages’

The Soulnote E-2 ver.2 is a seriously capable phono preamplifier, designed to handle everything from modern moving-coil and moving-magnet cartridges to DS Audio optical cartridges. Its standout feature is an unusually comprehensive selection of EQ curves, allowing listeners to accurately replay vintage records made using different pre-RIAA standards.

But it is the E-2 ver.2’s sound quality that makes The Ear review particularly compelling.

Using a Rega Aphelion 2 MC cartridge, the reviewer found the presentation “very engaging indeed and unusually easy to live with”. Rather than simply exposing every imperfection in a recording, the Soulnote was praised for handling dynamic peaks without introducing the hardness that can accompany highly revealing equipment. The reviewer describes its character as generous rather than soft, making a wide range of records more enjoyable.

Tone and texture were another highlight. Voices and instruments were described as rich and convincing, while bass was extended, clearly defined and full of character. Across recordings by Leonard Cohen, Muddy Waters, Sonny Rollins, Mari Samuelsen and Zakir Hussain, the E-2 ver.2 repeatedly demonstrated its ability to combine detail and resolution with musicality.

The conclusion is especially strong: The Ear calls its combination of features, build quality and performance remarkable, noting that the reviewer “didn’t find a record that was anything less than enthralling in its capable hands.

Read the review here