A portrait of EveAnna Manley of Manley Laboratories, Denver, CO, 2019 (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson)
Manley Labs is a phenomenon located in Chino, California and topped by the amazing award- winning EveAnna Manley. She operates a giant facility that produces from scratch high-end audio products and professional gear, even extraordinary microphones. John Atkinson, in a speech giving her the Founders Award, the highest honor of the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society, said, "EveAnna is amazing as she makes running Manley Labs look so easy." Having known her for 22 years, I certainly agree.
Her latest audiophile beauty is the Oasis Phono Stage loaded with features and cool adjustments for the phono lover where cost is important. I only know of four attractive tube phono stages below $4000 and the Oasis is a welcome addition. More the better in my opinion!
Image courtesy of Manley Laboratories
The Oasis is actually a hybrid phono stage with four solid state devices working in tandem with the two input tubes. The output is pure tube. The Oasis uses four 6922 tubes, 6DJ8 variants, run very conservatively to last with many years of use. This tube is a favorite of mine as it has 8 dB lower noise than the 12AX7 tube. The 6922 tubes coupled with solid-state, or transformers, can be a tour de force in amplification. Consequently, you get plenty of gain, top-notch quiet with very black backgrounds, and fine musical reproduction. I did not tube roll the EH tubes, but one certainly can with possibly superior results. My thoughts on the sound of the Oasis are based on the EH tubes onboard.
Image courtesy of Manley Laboratories
The Oasis is loaded with features. In addition to a 45 second delay with the on button to warm up the unit, it has four gain positions to suit any cartridge I know of. It has seven capacitance positions though the proper one is 200 pF unless specified by the manufacturer.
(image courtesy of Manley Laboratories)
Plus, it has 32 possible loading positions to match almost whatever you may need. All of these selections are accessed via DIP switches located on the back of the unit. The manual is well written and very easy to follow. I was impressed with the thoroughness covering every possible Oasis feature.
Review System
- Cartridges: SteinMusic Aventurin V6 Mk.2 MC, London Reference MM, Grado Labs Epoch 3 MI
- Interconnects: UITaudio Perfect Music Purifier, Cardas Audio Clear Beyond Phono, Jorma Origo for phono
- Tonearms and Turntables: EAT C sharp with 10 inch arm, EAR Disc Master Magnetic Drive Turntable with two Helius Omega Arms
- Preamp: Zesto Audio Leto Ultra II
- Loudspeakers: Marten Birds
The Music
EveAnna Manley and Michael Fremer, Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, 2019 (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson)
The Oasis is one very neutral and listenable phono stage. My opinions are based on my experience with my reference phono stage, which is twice as expensive as the Oasis.
The Grado Epoch 3 is likely the most revealing and musical MI cartridge in the world. It has a low output of 1 mV compared to most MM/MI cartridges at 3-5 mV. The Oasis accommodates it beautifully with the ability to choose the higher output settings usually reserved for MC only regardless of the cartridge type. This Oasis feature is brilliant and should be on every phono stage. Set at 60 dB output, the Epoch shines.
Playing LP after LP, I heard a fantastic black background with the Oasis that enhanced the imaging of every instrument. The Oasis was extremely even from top to bottom with no discernable lumps or bumps. Dynamics were very good, a bit less lively than my reference, but totally lovely and entertaining. Overall definition with the Oasis was excellent. Textures were very good, but not as full bodied as my reference. I heard very realistic tonality and forgot I was listening to the Oasis. My only quibble was the size of the soundstage. It was not quite as large as my reference, but certainly focused and satisfying. For the money, the Oasis and the $12,000 Grado Epoch 3 were well-matched and quite a fun, musical pairing. That is truly extraordinary for a phono stage at this price point.
I changed turntables and brought in the SteinMusic Aventurin V6 MK.2 MC cartridge. It is a very modified Benz LPS with a mahogany and carbon fiber wood body and other tweaks by the award-winning Holger Stein of Germany. It costs $6500. Its .35 mV output is ideal for the 65 mV setting on the Oasis and functioned perfectly. It pushed the Oasis to the extreme for definition and musicality. The SteinMusic MC performed exactly as I hoped. The Oasis produced tons of definition and precise imaging with this high-end MC. It did not show any flaws at full output and the background was ideally quiet and black. The Oasis is a truly excellent achievement for Manley Labs and their design team.
Dynamics were superb but a bit constrained versus my reference. The soundstage was somewhat smaller as well. The Oasis's $3999 price offers really excellent performance, considering I am comparing it to a much more expensive piece. The Oasis is an amazing piece of engineering and certainly performs beyond its price.
Finally, I put the London Reference in play. It has a 3+ mV output and takes no prisoners. This cartridge is not compatible with the Oasis, as it requires an impedance of 15k Ohms.
Or so I thought. Then EveAnna sent me a correction:
"Actually, do not forget that in the Manley Oasis there are CUSTOM positions on the PCB as mentioned in the Owner's Manual, so that there is no cartridge that is incompatible! One can install CUSTOM network resistors (and capacitors) of your choice, or as you have on-hand, you can use external plug-in loading plugs.
The Oasis is actually a hybrid phono stage with a JFET positioned under each input tube triode."
OK!
Anyway, I had had adapters made to adjust the impedance when plugged into a 47k Ohms load. I set the Oasis at 45 dB gain. The cartridge is legendary for its lack of a cantilever, the fine line diamond attached directly to the coils. It is now discontinued but sold for $6000.
The Oasis performed, I believe, to its limit. I heard very musical swagger with excellent dynamics. The Oasis noise floor was super low and that gave the presentation added realism and beauty. I brought out some of my original Mercury LP's and was shocked that the Oasis never lost its footing. The Oasis is truly impressive and its shortcomings are minor indeed.
Quibbles
I found the tiny DIP switches hard to adjust. A tiny flat-head screwdriver is best. If possible, adjust the switches before installing the unit so they are not upside down.
I liked the Cardas Clear Beyond Powercord with the unit. You can liven it up with an AQ or Kubala-Sosna power cord if you like, and can afford it.
Summary
Image courtesy of Manley Laboratories
The New Manley Laboratories Oasis Phono Stage is a mostly tube unit that holds a firm grasp on the music and plays with the more expensive big boys costing significantly more. Priced for the audiophile looking for a phono stage that is dependable and tube musical, the Oasis performed to excellent standards with phono cartridges that cost up to triple the Manley's price. I would even recommend its use in single-ended super-efficient systems where a high signal-to-noise ratio is key. The Oasis is engineered to be super quiet with a trend-setting black background enhancing imaging.
My congratulations to the design team at Manley Labs for this cost-effective and high-value Oasis phono stage. I certainly recommend the Manley Laboratories Oasis Phono Stage for audiophiles seeking high performance in this moderate price range.
Oasis Phono Stage
Price: $3999
Manley Laboratories
13880 Magnolia Avenue
Chino, CA 91710
909.627.4256
Web: www.manley.com
Email: [email protected]
