Big thanks to Mono & Stereo for their post from 2018 Axpona of our prototype PH 9.0. We showed with Studio Electric's fantastic < $3K M4 monitors, Fern & Roby's Montrose TT with Hana SL cart and Zu's Mission cables!
https://www.monoandstereo.com/2018/04/new-modwright-ph-90-tube-phono-stage.html (https://www.monoandstereo.com/2018/04/new-modwright-ph-90-tube-phono-stage.html)
The actual final PH 9.0 design and price has been set. The $2900 PH 9.0, which is STRONGLY related to our PH 150 Reference tube phono ($7900) will soon be released. It will be a two-box solution, despite what was indicated at Axpona. The use of Lundahl step-up transformers required us to keep the power supply as far as possible from the phono circuitry.
I struggled with this, as people have less rack space these days and I want this product to be as efficient with space as your wallet! The end decision was to make the supply external, simple and utilitarian, intended to sit on the floor, behind the rack or wherever you choose. This is achieved via a suitably long 6ft. umbilical. The supply houses the choke, power transformer and most rudimentary compomnents of the power supply that are also the most likely to introduce noise to the delicate signal path.
The umbilical is a 4-pin XLR type. This is significantly cheaper than the 8 pin Switchcraft or 10-pin Amphenol connectors that we use in our PH 150 and LS 36.5 DM Reference phono and preamps. Making the chassis a simple steel enclosure without decorative faceplate, also keeps the cost down. This allow us to put ALL of the money into optimizing the SOUND of the unit.
Circuitry is REMARKABLY similar to the PH 150, right down to the same Lunhdal step-ups and tube complement: (2) 6C45's and (2) 6922's. There are some differences of course and simplifications made to reduce cost, but you really won't hear it in the final product!
The PH 9.0 phono unit itself is 10"W x 3.5"H (not counting footers) x 10"D. Power supply = 7"W x 3"H x 9"D. The enclosures are steel (acting as Faraday Cages). The phono enclosure is finished with an Aluminum faceplate. Logo and graphics will all be silkscreened, so you will not see the characteristic backlit MWI logo. [Some of you like less LEDs anyhow, so this is a plus]. Again, costs were cut in the RIGHT places, to allow for a nice looking unit that SOUNDS like its much higher priced family member. Production drawings are going out to the machinist on Monday, but here is a graphic representation of the PH 9.0 face.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=180802)
You will find the same large knobs as the PH 150, as well as the same MM, Mute, MC input select and of course on-the-fly MC loading. MM loading will be fixed 47K/100pf. Two toggles on the face finish out the controls with a power on/off toggle (only small blue LED present) and a three-way toggle for gain attenuation: 0, -12dB, -6dB. This allows for optimum gain setting for MM and MC. MM max gain = 50dB; MC max gain = 66dB. There will also be a rear mono/stereo toggle.
The base design features only RCA inputs, one pair MM and one pair MC. There is also one pair of RCA main outs. Optional fully balanced, transformer coupled XLR outputs are an add cost option (price TBD).
I am excited about this and will be announcing when the first production units are ready to go out the door. We have a good list of Beta testers and dealers/distributors waiting on this one!
Thanks for all of your support.
Dan Wright
President, ModWright Instruments Inc.