I am considering getting a new tube phono stage, there are some good options out there, and some expensive options. I would be interested in the opinion of those that currently own a tube phono stage as to what you like about it, what you do not like about it ( if anything) and the type of cartridge you are using it with...low output MC, medium output MC, MM etc., I'm not giving a budget for replacement as I am curious as to the various opinions of this type of gear.
I have a PH16 & a Tavish Vintage sl7. I like them both. While not as quiet as the Herron I had, I would recommend either one. They do not have a tubey sound if that's what your after. The PH16 is out on loan. I used it with a SUT. The Tavish is used with mm Cartridges.
I think it takes some consideration for system matching before jumping on a tube stage just because “tubes”. I am on day two of digging the Parasound JC3+ which seems like a great match with my Pass Labs preamp and amp..
I use an Eastern Electric Minimax Phono Stage with a SUT and LOMC. What I like: it is quiet and rolling tubes allow me to shape the tone to my liking. What I don't like: the MC section sounded refined, transparent, and neutral but kind of sleepy even with a .5mv LOMC which is supposedly perfectly matched gain for the MC section which is why I added a SUT. The sound now has definitely more bite via SUT into the MM section.
I use a Benz Micro PP1 "Lukaschek" LOMC preamp. Quite a refined and dynamic, all-around spectacular little phonostage. Ultra quiet, thanks to quality components and build, and no extraneous switches or connection (LOMC, that's it). If you ever decide to go LOMC, please consider this unit - they can still be found on the used market for not too much $$ (I might just have ruined this little secret here!). 90% of my listening is with MC, but when I listen to MM, I still use my trusty NAD 3020 "Series 20" original, or a 3140 (the phono preamp sounds VERY similar). I have used a Pro-Ject Phonobox (noise on the MC head amp, just so-so on MM), a Rotel RX-850 receiver (pretty good MM, but the MC head amp is noisy, like the Pro-Ject). I also have a Harmonious Audio battery powered LOMC head amp, which is ugly, but which sounds excellent boosting the NAD's MM signal in the bedroom. Cheap and, as stated, butt ugly, but very quiet and dynamic.
I also want to hear more about tube phono stages, and about those using different families of tubes, especially 12ax7 vs 6dj8/6922.
I've had a Vincent PHO-701 about 6 months now and recommend it highly. The imaging and soundstage is magical with this unit for the price, and plays perfectly with my system. I use the stock 12AU7, but will roll pretty soon. I'm using a high output MC cart, and will try a LOMC next. My only issue is RFI at moderate to high volume, but I'm in the process eliminating that, (or will die trying)
I have owned a Ton Convergence and a Seven Ref. Currently have an Allnic H-7000. Happy to share if you are interested ....
Parks Budgie, I upgraded the tubes but would have to dig back in emails to tell you what I got. My system was a bit let's say, analytical, and I wanted to add some warmth. With the upgraded tubes I was in for about $550 maybe? What I don't like - the tubes pick up a very soft rhythmic clicking from my wifi router which is in the same room - to get the silence i have to turn the wifi off. But, the budgie got the job done - LOVE the sound of my system now. I am gonna upgrade my speakers soon though.
I have a Viva Fono phonostage. It utilizes 12AX7s and another tube type (I cannot recall), and has a built in step up transformer. It is extraordinarily large in size. The separate power supply is as large as a full-sized amp, and the other part is also pretty large in size. It has a built in step up transformer which works well with the .3mv cartridge I utilize. The truly odd thing about it is the use of two 300B tubes as rectifiers. It is dead quiet and sounds pretty good. I've heard several other terrific tube phonostages. I particularly like the top end Audio Note (uk) stage with their best step up transformer, but, that is WAY up in the crazy price range. I liked the sound of a Zanden phonostage that offered different equalization curves (a bit pricey). At a much more reasonable price, I like the EAR 834P.
Hello, congrats on considering an upgrade, always fun. I have had two tube phono stages, the Manley Chinook and now the Herron. I have two carts, that Hana ML and the SoundSmith Zephyr Mkiii (mc/mm). I had a terrible experience with the Chinook. I will not get into it here but I would not recommend it based on my experience. It was bought back by Manley. I will say their service was good. When it worked I found the sound to be immature and loose compared to the Herron. The Herron is fantastic. Keith himself is stand up, responsive and comes off as a real music lover. The unit has a great build quality, and looks fantastic. I have it in silver and Keith put in orange lights for me to match my tubes. The sound is much more refined and precise. I find it to be less “tuby” than the chinook which I found at times to be muddy compared to the Herron. The brilliance and detail is there. It presents the music as is. I don’t plan on ever selling it. I run the Hana open with no loading, though Keith provides loading plugs. This is a bit confusing to me as I am not an engineer but based on my limited experimentation, sounds best unloaded. The whole loading thing confuses me and with this unit being a bit different I was lost. I just use my ears and let it be but plan on experimenting more in the future...to happy to fool with it now. For reference, my setup is all analog, all tubes. I listen to jazz, old rock, folk etc. The Hana and the Herron are sitting in a tree K I S S I N G. (Though this took time bc the Hana) BTW, I’f you consider the Herron, call Keith, you will be happy you did.
The one area of audio where for me, solid state wins the massive amounts of amplification required is not ideal environment for valves. I had a Linn Linto for 20 years before I have up records. Totally silent, sounded beautiful, no desire to upgrade it.
I use an Icon Audio PS1 which uses three tubes, two 12AX7 and one 12AT7. I currently have a pair if Raytheon 5751 and one RCA 12AT7 Blackplate. I’ve also used a 2 Westinghouse- 1 Mullard combo. The sound is big, warm, and wide. With the Raytheons a bit more detailed and less of that tubey reverb quality than the Westinghouse. I highly recommend giving one an audition. I’ve used this phono stage with a Fisher 800C tube receiver as well as Pioneer SX-850 solid state receiver and Luxman L-85v solid state integrated amp. It has greatly satisfied me in combination with all three.
Interesting, I have the Manley Chinook (SE version) and absolutely love it. Rich midrange with excellent detail. Gives a great sense of space. Mine goes into a Primaluna integrated, and it is a really "tubey" systen with a syrupy midrange. In this system I have a Rega RP6 and am still using the Rega Exact cart (planning to go to a MC soon). One reason I haven't rushed to change is that the Chinook takes the Exact to a much higher level. I have heard nothing but great things about the Herron. Would love to check them out some day.
I have a Chinese EAR 834 clone. As shipped it had a terrible hum problem. That was fixed by a tech removing the power supply and putting it in a separate box. He also upgraded some components and corrected a potentially lethal earthing problem. With those mods I’m more than happy with the sound, wonderfully open and very engaging. I also use a step up amp (MC to MM level), designed by the same tech, between my turntable and the phono pre-amp.
My first Tube Phono Stage was a Magi Phonomenal. They take the 6922, 6DJ8 family of tubes. These are one off, custom made by an individual tech in the N.E. Followed by a Tavish Adagio and a Rogue Audio Ares Magnum (both very good stages, with separate Power Supplies). They were replaced with a ModWright PH 9.0 Phono Stage, it's also a 6922 based stage with an external power supply as well. The PH 9.0 is a keeper for me, as it has a good Synergy with the other ModWright gear that I have in the mix. VERY quiet, clean and convincing, as in the music is presented in a live, true to scale performance.
I have 2: an ARC Ref2 Phono SE in my dedicated 2 channel system, with a Koetsu Urushi Vermillion LOMC on my Oracle Delphi Mk1/6. I also have a Manley Steelhead in my LR system with a Sumiko Celebration Pearwood LOMC on my Clearaudio Innovation. Both are very quiet and very flexible, offering lots of loading options, multiple inputs and other convenience features (like a remote on the ARC). The ARC was something I bought when I had the upgrade itch and my then Sutherland / Acoustech PH-1 was starting to sound a little too noisy at higher gain settings. I auditioned a number of phono stages and decided the Ref2SE sounded the best, especially with fairly low output cart. I especially like the balanced outputs as they work very well with my ARC pre. The Manley was one of those things I heard years ago and just couldn't afford at the time, but have lusted after one for years. I finally found one a couple of years back used and decided to add it to my LR system. It has the ability to run as a pre-amp as well, and one of these days I'm going to run it directly into my Krell amp to see how that sounds. I've never run an MM cart into either (don't own any). I have tried an SUT with the Manley into the MM input, but didn't find any improvement and possibly a little hum pickup. I've never been tempted to do any tube rolling, I just find they both sounds really good in their respective systems. I don't find huge differences between the 2. The ARC might have a slight edge in low end definition and slam (but this could also be the system). They both have wonderful midrange and highs that are precise without being harsh in any way. I really can't stress how it is so important to NOT under estimate the effect of the phono stage, especially for LOMC carts. I went from the Acoustech (which was a Stereophile Class A at one time) to the ARC and found the sense of realism to be so much better it literally made me sit up and take notice. Being a musician, hearing certain things, especially in strings and vocals really took me back to my live music days and the feeling of instruments being right beside me.
The OP should get in touch with AvFan ( he lives close by ) @ AK. He has a $400 phono stage that will knock your socks off. No tubes though.
Fosgate Signature is all tubes. No SUT. No FET. Even tube rectification. 3 stages yielding about 60 db working fine with low level, but not extremely so, MC carts. One outstanding design feature is that each tube handles both left and right channel. So tube rolling is made easy as replacements don't have to be matched, just balanced. I rolled just one tube as recommended by designer to an old stock Telefunken. Sound is everything I could want. A negative is that without careful tube selection in two positions you can just slightly hear some tube rush. It doesn't bother me as it is below the level of lp background.
The EAR 834 clones, and even the real EAR 834, supposedly do not have great power supplies. I know someone who loves the basic design of the 834, but, builds his clones with a much better power supply. I heard another phonostage worth mentioning, it is built by Lector Audio in Italy. That is a company that builds great gear at less than eye-watering prices. While noise can be a problem with tube phonostages, particularly when used with very low output MC cartridges and where amplification is entirely active (no step up transformer), with most tube stages noise is not that high at all. Although I don't agree with Linto on this issue, I will agree that the solid state Linn Linto phonostage is quite good; I owned that for several years.
I use a Conrad-Johnson Premier 15. Mine is the 1995-2002 model. They introduced the Series II model in 2002 with a few minor part upgrades. It has a fixed gain of 53dB provided by two 12AX7 gain stages with passive RIAA equalization and a cathode follower output stage. It doesn't use any feedback, and no electrolytic capacitors in the audio circuits, just in the heater power supply. The first stage uses four 12AX7 tubes, so four triode sections in parallel per side for low noise. The second stage uses two sections per side. I picked it up on the used market a couple years ago for $2000, original retail for the first series was about $4000. It's not quite enough gain for the LOMC carts I prefer, so I added some vintage Partridge 977 transformers with a 6:1 ratio, which you can see in the left rear by the input connectors in the second picture below. I also changed the second stage tubes to the 5751 type to lower the gain slightly, so it's probably around 65dB now and very quiet. I'm currently using all vintage tubes, Mullard 12AX7 on the input, followed by GE 5751, and then GE 6GK5 for the outputs. Beautiful sound.
I have a Hagerman Cornet3. The main reason I got it was the low capacitance, as I was running an AT cartridge at the time and wanted to tame the treble. It sounds terrific even with the stock tubes, but you can completely tailor your sound by replacing them. Easily noticeable differences when switching between vintage Mullards and Telefunkens, for example, which makes cartridge-switching less of a problem once you have nailed down what sound you like with which. And Jim Hagerman is extremely helpful.
