Cary Audio VT-500 Phono Preamplifier
Cary Audio’s VT-500 delivers a luxurious, spacious vinyl presentation with exceptionally low noise, deep bass authority and airy treble. Robert H. Levi found its silent switching, adjustable MC loading and rock-solid imaging especially persuasive, with low- and medium-output moving coils benefiting from its commanding gain and natural tube realism.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
96/100
Cartridge Compatibility
90/100
Build Quality
89/100
Value for Money
95/100
Pros
Exceptionally quiet tube operation, with background noise effectively absent once grounding is optimized.
Low- and medium-output MC cartridges receive powerful, spacious sound with deep bass, airy highs, strong dynamics and stable imaging.
Five selectable MC loading options, silent MM/MC switching, ground lift and front-panel mute make setup and daily use unusually refined.
Cons
No mono switch, an omission noted as unusual at this price level.
The 38dB MM gain did not fully energize the reviewer’s 1mV Grado Aeon MI cartridge, limiting dynamics with that medium-output design.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 96/100
The VT-500 is described as exceptionally quiet, highly musical, spacious and dynamically unflustered. Its presentation combines tube richness and sweetness with firmly defined images, powerful bass and convincing scale.
Transparency Noise Floor
96/100
Robert H. Levi calls the MC amplification ultra-low-noise, with distortion effectively inaudible, and says the VT-500 is stunningly quiet with either low-output MC or high-output MM/MI cartridges. He also found its single-ended RCA operation as quiet as balanced operation and praises what he characterizes as exceptionally low background noise.
Tonal Balance Musicality
96/100
The review repeatedly emphasizes a deeply musical, melodious and luxurious character, calling the tonal performance nearly ideal. Voices are said to sound convincingly right and real, while the treble remains airy and sweet rather than etched.
Dynamics
95/100
The MC input is credited with substantial gain, definition and slam, alongside deep, powerful bass. Fortissimo passages reportedly remain composed, without clipping or confusion when music becomes dense with massed instruments or choir.
Soundstage Imaging
95/100
The VT-500 is said to produce truly excellent left-to-right breadth, with realistic height and depth. Images are described as palpable, rock-solid and well defined, approaching the reviewer's more costly reference components without smear or edge.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Cartridge Compatibility
90/100
The VT-500 accommodates both MM and MC cartridges, with 38dB MM gain and 65dB MC gain. Five selectable MC loading choices from 50 to 1,000 ohms were found easy to optimize on the fly, and the reviewer particularly recommends low- to medium-output MC designs while confirming quiet operation with high-output MM/MI cartridges.
Build Quality
89/100
The full-size tube-and-transformer chassis ran only slightly warm in the reviewer's use, suggesting well-managed operation for a valve design. The supplied Tung-Sol tubes were specifically reported not to be microphonic, while the switches, grounding control and mute function operated silently and cleanly.
Value for Money
95/100
At roughly half the cost of the tube phono stages it was compared against, the reviewer considers the VT-500 competitive in both performance and flexibility with alternatives priced up to $10,000. That assessment is reinforced by praise for its low noise, adjustability and highly accomplished musical presentation.
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Specifications
- Circuit Type
- Direct Coupled Single-ended Class A
- Frequency Response
- RIAA Curve + 0.5 dB, passive RIAA circuit design
- Gain
- MM – 38 dB, using triode vacuum tubes MC – 65 dB, using input transformers and triode vacuum tubes
- Noise and Hum
- -78 dB below full output
- Input Impedance
- MM – 47kΩ MC – Selectable 50Ω, 100Ω, 200Ω, 500Ω, 1000Ω
- Output Impedance
- 660Ω
- Power Supply Design
- Fully Regulated Power Supply with 1 ea. – R-Core transformer
- Output Polarity
- Non-Inverting
- Vacuum Tube Complement
- 2 ea – 6SL7 Head Amp 2 ea – 6SL7 RIAA EQ & Amp Gain Stage 1 ea – 5AR4 Vacuum Tube Rectifier (located in external power supply chassis)
- AC Power Requirements
- 100V-120V @ 50/60 Hz or 200V-240V @ 50/60 Hz
- Power Consumption
- 15 watts
- Warm-Up Time
- 5 Minutes
- Break-In Time
- 100 hours of music playing time
- Finish
- Fine textured black powder coat aluminum chassis, Black or Silver anodized aluminum faceplate
- Weight
- 22 lbs.
- Dimensions
- 5″ H x 17.25″ W x 13″ D
Manufacturer's Description — Cary Audio
About the VT-500 Phono Preamplifier
Elevate your vinyl experience with the VT-500—a vacuum tube stereo phono preamplifier designed for serious audiophiles. With four (4) 6SL7 dual triode tubes at its core, the VT-500 delivers unparalleled sound quality that will transform your vinyl listening sessions. Its passive RC circuit ensures precise RIAA equalization, while a fully regulated power supply housed in a separate heavy-duty chassis guarantees whisper-quiet operation.
Equipped with two high-quality step-up transformers, the VT-500 offers ample gain for use with any MC cartridge, boasting a remarkably low noise floor. With inputs and selectable loading to accommodate nearly any moving magnet or moving coil phono cartridge, you can optimize the response to match your setup perfectly. Immerse yourself in the magical blend of art and technology that is the VT-500, and discover subtle shadings and dynamic contrasts you never knew existed in your vinyl collection. If you’re serious about your turntable and vinyl music, make the VT-500 an essential part of your audio system.
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- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- Audio Affair — online and in-store — Deritend, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Audio Aktoren — online and in-store — Horten, Vestfold, Norway (website)
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- Audiotehnika — in-store — Centra rajons, Latvia (website)
- Class D Audio USA — online — United States (website)
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