I would be curious if anyone has one of the phono preamps and what their impression is of it. I need one in order to get my system back up and running.
Thanks
Mike
Thanks
Mike
3 posters
Anyone have one of the phono preamps?
Mike16W- Posts : 39
Join date : 2009-11-03
Tube Nube- Posts : 707
Join date : 2008-12-06
Age : 61
Location : Calgary, AB
Mike, I've got one in the mail to me right now -- expect it to arrive probly mid to late week.
By Friday night, I'd expect to be able to give you some solid impressions!
Brenton
By Friday night, I'd expect to be able to give you some solid impressions!
Brenton
Tube Nube- Posts : 707
Join date : 2008-12-06
Age : 61
Location : Calgary, AB
What I've got coming is the PH-11 which I expect to be a hands-down, do-doubt-about-it replacement for my Transcendent Phono. The TS is reputedly a good Phono stage, but overpriced compared to the VTA offerings.
So far, as I reported on another thread this week, my new SP8 sounds better than my Transcendent grounded grid pre amp. I have every reason to expect the Phono to also sound better than my corresponding Transcendent Phono.
More to come...
So far, as I reported on another thread this week, my new SP8 sounds better than my Transcendent grounded grid pre amp. I have every reason to expect the Phono to also sound better than my corresponding Transcendent Phono.
More to come...
Mike16W- Posts : 39
Join date : 2009-11-03
Sounds exciting. I am also considering the PH-11. I see that they also have a PH-12. It would be nice to audition them before purchasing. What made you select the PH-11 over the other ones?
Mike
Mike
Tube Nube- Posts : 707
Join date : 2008-12-06
Age : 61
Location : Calgary, AB
Hi Mike,
I think the PH-6 is the same board as I already have in my SP8 pre amp. I haven't even tried that phono stage yet, as I have the external stand alone TS phono. I don't know about the PH 9 -- I take it it's intended as a step up from the "6", but it's the PH 11 and PH 12 that Tubes4HiFi are offering as their uber-premium killer Phono sections.
I recall Roy Mottram discussing some of their upcoming (now materialized) designs, and posted a survey thread for forum members to say what they'd be most interested in seeing offered.
Looks like a tough call between the "11" and the "12". It's not clear to me from the website which one is better. The "12" sounds, from the description, that it might be an order of magnitude better than the "11", yet, if you look at the pictures, it looks like a much less complicated design, as in cluttered with components.
Difficult to know though with hi fi, especially tube hi fi, when less-is-less or less-is-more.
I bet we could pull the designer in for some commentary if we ask nice!
I think the PH-6 is the same board as I already have in my SP8 pre amp. I haven't even tried that phono stage yet, as I have the external stand alone TS phono. I don't know about the PH 9 -- I take it it's intended as a step up from the "6", but it's the PH 11 and PH 12 that Tubes4HiFi are offering as their uber-premium killer Phono sections.
I recall Roy Mottram discussing some of their upcoming (now materialized) designs, and posted a survey thread for forum members to say what they'd be most interested in seeing offered.
Looks like a tough call between the "11" and the "12". It's not clear to me from the website which one is better. The "12" sounds, from the description, that it might be an order of magnitude better than the "11", yet, if you look at the pictures, it looks like a much less complicated design, as in cluttered with components.
Difficult to know though with hi fi, especially tube hi fi, when less-is-less or less-is-more.
I bet we could pull the designer in for some commentary if we ask nice!
Mike16W- Posts : 39
Join date : 2009-11-03
That would be great to have Roy or Bob give us their impressions of each of the Phono Preamps.
Mike
Mike
Roy Mottram- Admin
- Posts : 1839
Join date : 2008-11-30
it's been difficult to actually finish these projects, some of them were started in November and just now getting finished due to all the Christmas rush orders, and then after New Years I guess people decided to buy whatever they didn't get for Christmas, and started ordering finished preamps, which can take me up to 3 weeks time squeezed in between a hundred emails a day and half a dozen orders that need to be filled.
So here's a review of the phono preamps I've got available.
The PH6 is the same one used as an upgrade for the PAS3, and is the same circuit used on the SP8 combination preamp.
The PH9 I just finished 2 weeks ago, and it works GREAT, it's sounds fantastic and has lower noise than I expected (I always EXPECT noise in a phono preamp). I only have one left until I can get more boards made which may take about 2 weeks. I haven't even posted prices on my website yet.
The PH11 is very similar to the Transcendence Phono pre that sells for $700 kit, my kit is $500 and has the advantage of a tube power supply which I consider a must on any tube preamp. I actually finished this preamp last November and it blew me away at how good it was, which is a good thing considering that the tubes alone for it cost $140 (a quad of 6C45pi plus a pair of 12AX7 and a 12X4 rectifier). It is DEAD SILENT and sounds fantastic.
The PH12 I'm still fine-tuning, I built some of these about 6 years ago and they worked fine, they use a pair of 6922 tubes (they CAN sound a little sterile and they are known to be microphonic) and a JFET as a current source, the combination theoritically should have about 10X less noise than most common phono preamps using 12AX7, I'm getting some hum on the one I built so I will be building another one and then trying various things to get it working at it's best. It also has the advantage of a much smaller footprint size inside the chassis.
Roy www.tubes4hifi.com/pre11.htm
So here's a review of the phono preamps I've got available.
The PH6 is the same one used as an upgrade for the PAS3, and is the same circuit used on the SP8 combination preamp.
The PH9 I just finished 2 weeks ago, and it works GREAT, it's sounds fantastic and has lower noise than I expected (I always EXPECT noise in a phono preamp). I only have one left until I can get more boards made which may take about 2 weeks. I haven't even posted prices on my website yet.
The PH11 is very similar to the Transcendence Phono pre that sells for $700 kit, my kit is $500 and has the advantage of a tube power supply which I consider a must on any tube preamp. I actually finished this preamp last November and it blew me away at how good it was, which is a good thing considering that the tubes alone for it cost $140 (a quad of 6C45pi plus a pair of 12AX7 and a 12X4 rectifier). It is DEAD SILENT and sounds fantastic.
The PH12 I'm still fine-tuning, I built some of these about 6 years ago and they worked fine, they use a pair of 6922 tubes (they CAN sound a little sterile and they are known to be microphonic) and a JFET as a current source, the combination theoritically should have about 10X less noise than most common phono preamps using 12AX7, I'm getting some hum on the one I built so I will be building another one and then trying various things to get it working at it's best. It also has the advantage of a much smaller footprint size inside the chassis.
Roy www.tubes4hifi.com/pre11.htm