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ModWright Instruments PH 9.0 Tube Phono Stage
PH 9.0 TUBE PHONO STAGE
We are excited to present the new PH 9.0 Tube Phono stage with on-the-fly loading and attenuation controls. Following in the footsteps and true Design DNA of the Reference PH 150, the PH 9.0 offers most of the same performance and flexibility of the PH 150 at a much lower price and smaller form factor.
The rise of interest in vinyl has led to demand for flexible, high performance phono stages to make the most of ALL of our vinyl. The PH 9.0 is quiet, musical, physically compact and flexible enough to suit the simplest to the most complex analog rigs! We chose Lundahl MC step-up transformers, separate MM and MC inputs, compact external power supply on a long umbilical and vacuum tube design to maximize flexibility. The use of external supply, careful grounding, layout and solid engineering result in an extremely quiet tube phono stage! The power supply is small and has no controls and may be tucked out of the way anywhere. The phono stage itself is 10“Wx10“Wx4“H. Its compact form factor allows flexible placement. Like the PH 150, front panel controls for MM, Mute, MC input select, On-The-Fly MC loading and gain adjustment for MM and MC carts allows for easy adjustment to suit different cartridges and systems. Mono/Stereo toggles is locate on the rear panel.
Easy load adjustment from the front panel, easy gain adjustment, two phono inputs and mono Switch!
Fully balanced, transformer coupled XLR outputs are available as an add cost option. The base unit has single ended RCA outputs only.
14 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE ON ALL PH 9.0 SALES! WE ARE THAT CONFIDENT THAT YOU WILL LOVE THIS PHONO STAGE!(14 day period begins after unit is received. Refund is for purchase price of unit, less shipping & any transaction or credit card fees.)
PH 9.0 “X” UPGRADE – LUNDAHL 1660S TRANSFORMERS!
What the PH 9.0X upgrade includes:
The upgrade to the PH 9.0X involves the addition of a pair of Lundahl gapped output transformers, commonly used in SET tube amps. The addition of these transformers also means the elimination of a pair of chokes and coupling caps, all in the signal path.
Why this upgrade?:
The circuit change made to the PH 9.0X, make it much closer to the PH 150 in terms of overall circuit design. Various other circuit differences in the PH 9.0 vs. the PH 150 were implemented, to see where the PH 9.0 could be improved. Most either made no difference, or for whatever reason, did not sound as good in the PH 9.0. This circuit change however DOES make a difference. The use of the Lundahl output transformers was one of the cost cutting design changes made to the PH 150 to achieve the PH 9.0. I found that the improvements were simply big enough that it warranted offering the upgrade, as an add cost option for the PH 9.0.
Sonic Benefits:
The sonic benefits of this circuit change are obvious and significant! There is better bottom end, more weight and authority to the sound as well as improved resolution, detail and soundstage.
Please note, the unit may be purchased as a PH 9.0X or upgraded at any time to the ‘X’ level!
PH 9.0 “T” UPGRADE – TUBE RECTIFIED POWER SUPPLY!
What the “T” upgrade includes:
The upgrade to the PH9.0 & PH 9.0X involves the addition of the tube rectified power supply. I have experimented with this for some time and after comparison to the stock solid state rectifier, found the benefits to be obvious and worthwhile. Again, back to our Reference PH 150 design, I also included a further high-voltage pre-regulator to the external supply, in addition to the tube rectifier. The ‘T’ upgrade then includes tube rectification and the high voltage pre-regulation stage.
Sonic Benefits:
The results include a bigger and broader soundstage, more body and a more holographic presentation of the music. Tube rectification offers a unique quality that is simply more musical. There is a reason that most all of our preamps are tube rectified.
Please note, the unit may be purchased as a PH 9.0T, PH 9.0XT or upgraded at any time to the ‘T’ level!
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The PH 9.0 pairs a remarkably low noise floor with tube warmth and effortless dynamics, delivering detailed midrange and tight, authoritative bass and a wide soundstage. Reviewers from Enjoy The Music and Audiophilia praise its imaging, MC gain flexibility and build — a compact, musical phono stage that punches above its price.
Pros
- Exceptionally low noise floor and 'black-background' quietness that uncovers low-level detail and precise imaging.
- Powerful, well-controlled bass and strong macro/micro dynamics for convincing impact, pace and musical drive.
- High MC gain (up to 64dB) with six discrete MC loading steps makes matching low-output MC cartridges straightforward.
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Cons
- Balanced (XLR) outputs are an optional $300 extra rather than standard, adding cost for fully differential outputs.
- MM loading is fixed at 47k, which limits fine-tuning for some MM cartridges compared with units offering variable MM capacitive/resistive loading.
Sound Quality
91/100
Weighted average of sub-criteria below.
Transparency Noise Floor
93/100
Multiple reviewers explicitly call out an exceptionally low noise floor and 'deafening silence'/'black backgrounds' (Positive Feedback, EnjoyTheMusic, Audiophilia). The external solid-state PSU and design are repeatedly credited for very low noise, with no reviewer reporting hum or hiss; this supports a near-reference transparency rating.
Tonal Balance Musicality
90/100
Consistently praised for natural, tube-like body and musical bloom while retaining clarity (Part Time Audiophile, Positive Feedback). Reviewers describe a balanced, 'just right' tonality that is warm without excessive coloration, supporting a high musicality score.
Dynamics
91/100
Reviewers note excellent micro- and macro-dynamics ('scare-your-pants-off', 'effortless dynamics', 'thunderous' low-end impact) and strong rhythmic drive (EnjoyTheMusic, Part Time Audiophile, Audiophilia). The unit's dynamic performance is repeatedly highlighted as a standout.
Soundstage Imaging
90/100
Multiple reviews praise image specificity, depth and width ('stunner', 'wide and very deep soundstage', 'hear into the deepest recesses') and link improved staging to the low noise floor (Positive Feedback, Audiophilia, Part Time Audiophile).
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Cartridge Compatibility
88/100
Supports both MM and MC with high MC gain (64/58/52 dB selectable) and six discrete MC loading settings (10–470 ohm), plus three overall gain attenuation steps; reviewers explicitly praise the flexibility and successful matches (EnjoyTheMusic, Audiophil-Online, Audiophilia). MM loading is fixed at 47k, which modestly limits MM fine-tuning for some users, so score reflects excellent MC flexibility with a minor MM-loading caveat.
Build Quality
86/100
Reviewers describe a muscular, well-built chassis with solid controls, tube-accessible topology and a robust external PSU (Part Time Audiophile, Positive Feedback). Construction and ergonomics receive strong praise; score is high but not maximal because build is functional/industrial rather than ultra-luxury and balanced outputs are optional (extra cost), not standard.
Value for Money
92/100
Reviewers repeatedly emphasize exceptional performance-per-dollar ('remarkable audiophile deal', 'pound-for-pound the most significant achievement in performance per dollar', 'highly recommended') and compare favorably to much more expensive units (Part Time Audiophile, Positive Feedback, Audiophilia). Although published prices vary in sources, the reviews' consistent praise of value supports a strong value score.
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