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Authorized dealers for ModWright Instruments PH 9.0 Tube Phono Stage

  • The Music Room — online and in-store — Erie, Colorado, United States (website)
  • Absolute Hi End — in-store — Ormond, Victoria, Australia (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)

and 9 more verified dealers

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Potato score: 93.85

94%

ModWright Instruments PH 9.0 Tube Phono Stage #1
ModWright Instruments PH 9.0 Tube Phono Stage variant 1
ModWright Instruments PH 9.0 Tube Phono Stage variant 2
ModWright Instruments PH 9.0 Tube Phono Stage variant 3
ModWright Instruments PH 9.0 Tube Phono Stage variant 4
ModWright Instruments PH 9.0 Tube Phono Stage variant 5
ModWright Instruments PH 9.0 Tube Phono Stage variant 6
ModWright Instruments PH 9.0 Tube Phono Stage variant 7

ModWright Instruments PH 9.0 Tube Phono Stage

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MC/MM Switching
Gain Switching

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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Professional Reviews 94/100

Rating for PH 9.0 Tube Phono Stage

Deliciously Crispy

Sound Quality

95/100

Cartridge Compatibility

90/100

Build Quality

91/100

Value for Money

96/100

With an ink-black noise floor and effortless dynamics, the ModWright Instruments PH 9.0 Tube Phono Stage brings tube liquidity to vinyl without sacrificing focus or speed. Positive Feedback admired its controlled bass, vivid tonal color and expansive imaging, while Part Time Audiophile found its transparent, organic presentation competitive with far costlier stages.

What Reviewers Are Saying

"I could very easily see this phono pre retiring many an audiophile’s lust for the infamous final 1%."

— Part Time Audiophile

Pros

Exceptionally quiet operation creates black backgrounds, sharper low-level detail and more articulate soundstaging.

Delivers controlled, extended bass, natural tonal body and powerful macro- and microdynamic expression.

Flexible MC gain and six loading settings make cartridge matching straightforward, with convenient front-panel controls.

&

Cons

MM loading is fixed at 47k ohms, limiting adjustment flexibility for moving-magnet cartridges.

Stock configuration is RCA-only; fully balanced XLR outputs require a paid option.

Treble refinement and ultimate extension fall short of the more expensive PH 150 Reference.

SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 95/100

Reviews consistently describe an unusually quiet, transparent and musically complete tube phono stage. Its presentation combines tonal richness and natural flow with strong transient expression, deep staging and image focus rather than leaning toward either soft tube romanticism or clinical solid-state analysis.

Transparency Noise Floor

95/100

Multiple reviewers call the PH 9.0 silent or describe “deafening silence,” black backgrounds and an exceptionally low noise floor. Part Time Audiophile also heard greater detail with less noise, while Audiophilia found it added to the apparent quietness of record surfaces.

Tonal Balance Musicality

95/100

Reviewers praise an authentic, accurate and substantial tonal voice, with natural body, bloom, texture and tonal color. It delivers tube liquidity and musical ease without haziness, fuzz or an overly softened presentation; one reviewer called its voice among the most authentic heard below $6,000.

Dynamics

96/100

Dynamic performance receives particularly emphatic praise, from thunderous low-register impact to expressive microdynamic gradation and “scare-your-pants-off” macro contrasts. Reviewers also highlight convincing pace, rhythm and drive, along with effortless transient sharpness and flow.

Soundstage Imaging

95/100

The PH 9.0 is repeatedly credited with exceptionally clear spatial recovery, precise image specificity and a wide, very deep stage. Reviewers heard convincing venue acoustics, stable instrumental separation and the ability to hear deep into recorded spaces without images congealing.

Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.

Cartridge Compatibility

90/100

The PH 9.0 supports both MM and MC cartridges, with selectable gain levels and six MC loading choices from 10 to 470 ohms. Its 64dB maximum MC gain and attenuation options make it adaptable to a broad range of cartridges, though MM loading remains fixed at 47k ohms.

Build Quality

91/100

Reviewers describe a muscular, industrially purposeful chassis with notably thick aluminum front-panel work and controls that feel firm and satisfying in use. The removable top/side panel also makes tube fitting and rolling straightforward, while the external power supply separates that function from the audio chassis.

Value for Money

96/100

At the reviewed $2,900-$3,000 pricing, reviewers repeatedly regarded the PH 9.0 as an exceptional deal, including Part Time Audiophile's view that it competes with substantially pricier preamps. Positive Feedback characterized it as a major performance-per-dollar achievement that carries much of the PH 150 Reference's performance at well under half its price; even at the listed $3,500, that comparison remains highly favorable.

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Authorized dealers for ModWright Instruments PH 9.0 Tube Phono Stage

  • The Music Room — online and in-store — Erie, Colorado, United States (website)
  • Absolute Hi End — in-store — Ormond, Victoria, Australia (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)

and 9 more verified dealers