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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!
Dealers selling ModWright Instruments near you
Authorized dealers for ModWright Instruments PH 9.0 Tube Phono Stage
- The Music Room — online and in-store — Erie, Colorado, United States (website)
- Alen Audio — in-store — Extramurs, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (website)
- Altitudo Audio — online and in-store — Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (website)
- Audio Extreme — in-store — Kowloon, China (website)
- Dr Vinyl — in-store — Middle River, Maryland, United States (website)
- Elite Audio UK — online and in-store — Pittenweem, Escocia, United Kingdom (website)
- fern roby — online and in-store — Richmond, Virginia, United States (website)
- Hearken Audio — online and in-store — Kitchener, Ontario, Canada (website)
- HIFI SOLUTION — in-store — Chandon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France (website)
- Horizontal Acoustics — in-store — Singapore, Singapore, Singapore (website)
and 8 more verified dealers
The low-noise, full-bodied PH 9.0 serves up tube warmth with near-solid-state clarity, pairing wide, deep soundstaging with superb bass control and vivid dynamics. Anthony Kershaw, Greg Weaver, and Grover Neville all praise its silence, tonal realism, and cartridge flexibility, making it a remarkably accomplished MM/MC phono stage.
Pros
- Exceptionally low noise floor with black backgrounds and quiet operation.
- Wide, deep soundstaging with strong image specificity and spatial detail.
- Natural tonal balance with excellent midrange body, texture, and vocal realism.
- Flexible MM/MC setup with adjustable gain and multiple MC loading options.
&
Cons
- Treble is highly detailed, but not quite as extended or refined as the reference-tier PH 150.
- Balanced outputs are optional rather than standard, and MM loading is fixed at 47k.
Sound Quality
93/100
The PH 9.0 is described by multiple reviewers as exceptionally quiet, highly transparent, and unusually refined for a tube phono stage. Across the reviews, it combines low noise, strong tonal realism, vivid dynamics, and excellent spatial retrieval in a way that repeatedly draws comparisons to far more expensive units.
Transparency Noise Floor
95/100
Reviewer language is extremely strong here: "deafening silence," "black backgrounds," "low noise floor," and "silent" all appear in the coverage. The external solid-state power supply is repeatedly credited with lowering noise and improving clarity, and there are no meaningful hum or hiss caveats in the supplied reviews.
Tonal Balance Musicality
94/100
The tonal presentation is consistently praised as natural, organic, and musically satisfying, with tube-like body and bloom but without excessive warmth or softness. Reviewers emphasize "remarkable accuracy," "faithfulness," and a continuity that preserves tube richness while avoiding haze or clinical sterility.
Dynamics
93/100
Dynamics are a major strength, with descriptions such as "exhilarating impact," "astonishing expressiveness," "superb gradation," and "seductive dynamic eloquence." The PH 9.0 is also said to deliver strong macro-dynamic punch and convincing microdynamic shading, making records feel alive and uncompressed.
Soundstage Imaging
90/100
Spatial performance is repeatedly characterized as excellent, with comments about a "stunner" in soundstaging, very deep and wide presentation, and strong image specificity. It is not quite framed as class-leading in the absolute sense every time, but the consensus is clearly that it preserves space and placement at a very high level.
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Cartridge Compatibility
90/100
This is a genuinely flexible MM/MC design with multiple gain settings, adjustable attenuation, and a wide range of MC loading choices. Reviewers specifically note the ease of matching cartridges and that the PH 9.0 can suit a broad range of MM and MC setups, though MM loading is fixed at 47k and balanced output is optional rather than standard.
Build Quality
88/100
The hardware is consistently described as solid, muscular, and well-executed, with a robust external power supply and a neatly arranged chassis. Reviewers like the firm switchgear, substantial front panel, and practical tube-access design, though the praise is for careful and effective engineering rather than luxury excess.
Value for Money
94/100
Value commentary is overwhelmingly positive. At roughly the $2,900-$3,500 level, reviewers repeatedly frame it as competitive with much pricier phono stages, "excellent for the price," and even one of ModWright’s most significant performance-per-dollar achievements; that is strong value language for this class.
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