Mr Creosote
Super Member
First my gear. VTA ST-120 with KT120s. Driven through the Pre out of a Marantz 2245. Technics SL1200 with an AT120E cartridge.
Second what I'm trying to accomplish or what my goal is. I want to put together an all tube system. Consisting of the VTA ST-120, the PH14 phono amp and a VTA SP14 pre amp. I've had the ST-120 for a few months now, I absolutely love it. The PH14 was next in line to build since the SP14 is all line level. I finished the the PH14 a couple of days ago. I figured I could run the PH14 through the AUX input on the 2245.
My Impression or findings. First I noticed the PH14 seems to have a lot more gain then playing the table through the PHONO input. The volume I'd get say, at 12 o'clock I get about at 9 o'clock. It sounds almost overdriven. almost distortion. More noticeable at lower volume it seems. Upper mids seem much more forward. I've always run in ultra linear mode, never caring for pentode. So I put it in pentode mode, which cuts output in half to 30 watts. It sounds much better, not so "over driven". I think the PH14 sounds nice but even in pentode the upper mids and highs seem more forward. It might be it's new to my ears. I have a Grado Green that I never warmed up to. It had less gain and lacked a little in the upper mid range. But dug a little deeper then the the AT120 and had a nice bottom. I put the Grado in this after noon and I thought it sounded wonderful. The impression of being over driven was gone. The upper mids and highs sounded like I'm used to. And a nice and deep on the bottom. The volume at say, 12 o'clock was close to what I was used to with the AT. I finally like the Grado I think. I haven't had it long enough to really say how the PH14 sounds. It seems to have opened the sound stage a bit. The instruments seem, I'm not sure what the term is, more defined from each other. The 2245 has never been recaped. I'm hoping the PH14 gets better with more hours on it. Maybe vintage tubes? It has JJs in it now. And I'm hoping that with a SP14 it's a better match. The SP14 has gain controls for the right and left channel, that might be beneficial. The use of the 2245 is supposed to be temporary.
Second what I'm trying to accomplish or what my goal is. I want to put together an all tube system. Consisting of the VTA ST-120, the PH14 phono amp and a VTA SP14 pre amp. I've had the ST-120 for a few months now, I absolutely love it. The PH14 was next in line to build since the SP14 is all line level. I finished the the PH14 a couple of days ago. I figured I could run the PH14 through the AUX input on the 2245.
My Impression or findings. First I noticed the PH14 seems to have a lot more gain then playing the table through the PHONO input. The volume I'd get say, at 12 o'clock I get about at 9 o'clock. It sounds almost overdriven. almost distortion. More noticeable at lower volume it seems. Upper mids seem much more forward. I've always run in ultra linear mode, never caring for pentode. So I put it in pentode mode, which cuts output in half to 30 watts. It sounds much better, not so "over driven". I think the PH14 sounds nice but even in pentode the upper mids and highs seem more forward. It might be it's new to my ears. I have a Grado Green that I never warmed up to. It had less gain and lacked a little in the upper mid range. But dug a little deeper then the the AT120 and had a nice bottom. I put the Grado in this after noon and I thought it sounded wonderful. The impression of being over driven was gone. The upper mids and highs sounded like I'm used to. And a nice and deep on the bottom. The volume at say, 12 o'clock was close to what I was used to with the AT. I finally like the Grado I think. I haven't had it long enough to really say how the PH14 sounds. It seems to have opened the sound stage a bit. The instruments seem, I'm not sure what the term is, more defined from each other. The 2245 has never been recaped. I'm hoping the PH14 gets better with more hours on it. Maybe vintage tubes? It has JJs in it now. And I'm hoping that with a SP14 it's a better match. The SP14 has gain controls for the right and left channel, that might be beneficial. The use of the 2245 is supposed to be temporary.
