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Between the input jacks is a little blue dip switch to select between 38dB and 60dB of gain. Also nearby is a wing nut for the turntable ground. The other end sports RCA outputs and an XLR jack for the DC power input. The basic power supply comes in the same 2" ABS stub and connects to the phono stage via XLR terminated 5ft umbilical cord while the AC supply is via hardwired standard three-prong AC cord. Incidentally, there is no power switch regardless of the configuration. The intention is to leave the Thingee powered up for maximum performance.
For technical specs, go here.


An optimized version for low output MC cartridges is available and offers a choice between 58dB and 71dB of gain. The BP or Biggie Pipe power supply comes in a fatter 3" ABS pipe and features 88,000uF of capacitance, an IEC inlet for your choice of power cable and a ground lift switch. Bigger still is the 4" thick SP or Sewer Pipe Capacitor Pack, which boasts over three times the capacitance of the BP. The SP sits between the phono stage and power supply via a 2' XLR terminated umbilical cord. Essentially the SP cap pack enhances the capacitance of whichever power supply you choose. If your budget is tight, you can start with the basic version at $349, later add the $200 BP power supply and then the $400 SP cap pack as funds permit.


While cylindrical, the various components were stable and did not roll off my rack. For obsessive compulsives, Gilbert even offers stands for his pipes. I mostly left the power supply and cap pack on the floor behind my rack. As the Fon Lo Thingee is unshielded, I found it prone to EMI/RFI issues. Whenever I had a wireless device such as my laptop or Blackberry anywhere within ten feet, I heard all manner of beep, burps and chirps, all quite evident during quieter passages and certainly between tracks. The noise disappeared once I shut off my wireless devices or moved them outside the room. Anyone with a laptop or Squeezebox hooked up to their hifi take note. However, Gilbert now has a fix that should reduce the Fon Lo Thingee's susceptibility to EMI/RFI.


I started out with the FLT and basic power supply and left it on for a couple of weeks before listening critically. After a two-week listening trial, I added the SP pack followed by the Biggie Power Supply after several more weeks.


As is customary, I played my cherished reference recordings of bird song, train wrecks and of course that mighty old chestnut, Jazz at the Pawnshop. Just kidding. I would rather suffer the indignities of a cavity search than listen to such dreck. Instead I jumped about with The Saints classic All Fools Day [TVT 2111], got all hot and bothered with the missus via Van Morrison's Astral Weeks [Warner R1-1768], wept through a box of Kleenex with Beecham's La Boheme [EMI SIB-6000], harmonized with The Fleet Foxes' debut LP (check out the cool Bruegel cover [Sub Pop SP-777]) and was transported by Sonny Rollins A Night at the Village Vanguard [Blue Note/Classic 1581].