A Dying Breed

[MylesBAstor]

How many manufacturers still make pure, unadulterated, all tube phonostages? No FETs, J-FETs, SUTs, etc. The only company that comes to mind is conrad-johnson. There must be others.

[RonR]

Aesthetix

I have loved the Io for about 17 years.

[Guest]

Atma-Sphere

[Alpinist]

Audio Research Reference 10 phono stage?

Ken

[MylesBAstor]

I thought all ARC phonostages were a hybrid now? Mark would know.

[Metamatic]

Yes Myles. very true. they have a fet stage in the front, then tube.

Yes, hybrid since the Ref 2.

http://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/audio_research_reference_phono_2.htm

[RoadDawgWest]

I believe the Balanced Audio Technology VK-P6 & VK-P6SE are all tube designs with no input transformers.
Even thought the VK-P12 & VK-P12SE include a step up transformer the user can select "direct" to bypass the step up transformer.

[Hawk]

I think a Manley Chinook is all tube.

I have an old CJ PV9a Pre-amp with an all tube phono in it. It feeds an all tube CJ MV100 into a pair of CJ Synthesis LM300's. Way over kill for a small home office. Equipment is almost 30 years old. Still sounds pretty sweet(Alot of NOS tubes) & a nice heat source in the winter.

[[email protected]]

The Fosgate Signature is all tube. Not being made anymore I don't believe.

[mep]

I think a Manley Chinook is all tube.

I have an old CJ PV9a Pre-amp with an all tube phono in it. It feeds an all tube CJ MV100 into a pair of CJ Synthesis LM300's. Way over kill for a small home office. Equipment is almost 30 years old. Still sounds pretty sweet(Alot of NOS tubes) & a nice heat source in the winter.

No, the Chinook has JFETs. It's a damn good sounding phono stage and it's quiet.

[mep]

The Hagerman Trumpet Reference is pure tube.

[Rob]

How many manufacturers still make pure, unadulterated, all tube phonostages? No FETs, J-FETs, SUTs, etc. The only company that comes to mind is conrad-johnson. There must be others.

Jadis and VAC and others that don't come readily to mind. the VAC statement has SUTs but are bypassed when you select the MM input. IMO, there's no free lunch with tube phono stages, you can't expect 76 db of relatively quiet gain without assist from a SUT, JFET or the like.

[mep]

Jadis and VAC and others that don't come readily to mind. the VAC statement has SUTs but are bypassed when you select the MM input. IMO, there's no free lunch with tube phono stages, you can't expect 76 db of relatively quiet gain without assist from a SUT, JFET or the like.

Absolutely agree. I would even lower the amount of gain from 76dB for being quiet with pure tubes. The signal from low output MC cartridges is so low that the signal is actually sitting in the noise floor of the tubes used to amplify their output. .2mV is actually 200 µV - 200 millionths of a volt! That's why people are using SUTs or J-FETs to step up the signal level before it's handed off to tubes to reduce the noise. You simply can't have your cake and it too unless you like eating cake that was baked with some rocks in it.

[Rob]

The VAC statement has 76 db of gain with SUTs, the MM input is only 35-40 db. the big Jadis can do 83 db (no doubt with some help from FETs/SUTs). IME, ~50 db of pure tube gain is about the limit before low level details get swamped out by tube rush.

[Beaur]

There are few smaller manufacturers that come to mind. Mostly custom/made to order. Mine was entirely tube based, including the PS until recently when I had a FET step up installed. Haven't had a chance to compare it to my normal SUTs as of yet but the FET is in the ballpark.

[JCOConnell]

while an all tube MM phono stage is easily achievable, doing MC without transistors or transformers is not possible without accepting higher noise levels.

Yes. Ironically it was LO cartridge makers paving the road to Transistorvania

[mep]

while an all tube MM phono stage is easily achievable, doing MC without transistors or transformers is not possible without accepting higher noise levels.

One hell of a difference between a cartridge with a 4.6 mV output and one with .2mV

[JCOConnell]

don't forget, you can get extra high output MC carts that are compatible with tube MM phono stages.

[Rob]

sure, but name one HOMC that you would unequivocally prefer--sonically--over a LOMC?? the list become vanishingly small if there is even a list

[MylesBAstor]

Rob what would you define as HO? Interestingly, MCs used to be categorized as LO, MO and HO. Now just LO and HO. Think the last HO/MO I had was the Blue Point Special and before that the Talisman Alchemist. And before that the AQ 404. Today, there are a few cartridge designers that will provide the output requested too. For whatever the reason, HO MCs always sound bright to me.

Most modern phonostages should be happy with MCs around 0.5 mV. Part of the reason love the Doshi is that it's got gain to spare (74 dB) but not all tube.

[JCOConnell]

most modern MC phonostages that is