1. Home
  2. analog
  3. 197774-132884

Tube Preamp with Full Featured Phono (both MM and LOMC with loading options).

My friend has very little room in one of his systems he wants to upgrade, so a single Preamp with Full Featured Phono built in is advantageous to him.

No Tape, Streaming, DAC needed, so not too many inputs, no XLR needed. Has two TT now, with external switcher to his existing Preamp, that's ok, but two Phono Inputs would be advantageous.

I'm gonna start looking, used is fine, budget 1,500 to 2,500 USD (stretch to 2,700 if just a few hundred more gets a great find).

Remote Volume and Mute would be nice, but not that important in that system. Usually, a Remote gets you a newer used item. I'm not living with remote volume, balance, mute. He could find room for the Chase RLC-1 Remote Line Controller he has heard here many times.

That opens the door to Full Featured Vintage Tube Preamps, but that is usually only MM Phono needing an external SUT, costing more, and taking more space. I showed him my FRT-4 SUT which fits under my Turntable, he could do that.

Lots of options, his preference is a single Tube Preamp with Full Featured Phono for both MM and LOMC.

Whew!

Any help will be appreciated, thanks in advance

Elliott

 

elliottbnewcombjr
winoguy17
1,329 posts
 

 

elliottbnewcombjr

6,953 posts

 

@winoguy17 

That ModWright seems like a winner

https://www.modwright.com/products/ls-100-tube-preamp/

"Remote Control Functions Include:

  • Power.
  • Two remote trigger outputs.
  • Selectable balance control, may be bypassed for cleaner signal path.
  • Volume control.
  • Mute.
  • Input select.
  • Monitor input select.

Preamp Functions Include:

  • Upgrade slot for Optional in-board Phono stage.
  • Built in headphone amp fed via tube driver stage.
  • Home Theater Bypass.
  • All pushbutton control, no toggle switches.

LS 100 Tube PHONO OPTION:

  • One pair RCA inputs.
  • Tube Design: (1)12AX7, (1)12AU7
elliottbnewcombjr OP
7,776 posts
 

@winoguy17 

It certainly looks like a winner, just add the phono board.

Price above his budget with the phono board added, only 1 used one on hifishark, foreign country, no phono board.

btw, You can add a phono board to a new or older Van Alstine, +$379., but if old, you need to send it to them to do in their shop.

vitussl101's avatar
vitussl101
296 posts
 

You're looking for an all tube phono preamp that performs quietly with low output MC cartridges(0.2mV?)?  It doesn't exist, unless you're old and your hearing is not what it once was.  It's gonna hiss and if you're lucky, will not spit after six to 12 months.  If someone here knows of such a quiet perfomer, I'd like to know. Also, is there some good reason to not go solid state, at least for the phono preamp, and then that going into a tube preamp?

elliottbnewcombjr OP
7,776 posts
 

@vitussl101 

Do I detect an anti tube bias?

I used to hear hiss when I was much younger, and MC was new, all the pre-preamps, as some called them i.e. signal booster by any name, hissed, every one I heard, in all the NYC audio stores I visited. Not for me, pay all that money for noise?

I finally tried my 1st MC in 2019, age 71, no hiss. I thought, damn, they have gotten rid of the hiss! Got a nice SUT, no noise, even near my TT's motor, out to my Vintage MM Phono stage in Mcintosh mx110z tube tuner/preamp, hot damn, no noise.

I have some young eared audio friends, nobody hears any noise.

You must be going by some old memories, or poor designs.

 

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
7,944 posts
 

I haven’t tried every tube component under the sun but the rogue pieces I owned did not hiss. Not the preamps, not the amp. At least with normal sensitivity speakers you should not hear any hiss at normal volumes. 
If you have 104db efficient speakers then you’re going to hear hiss even with some solid state gear. 

More to discover