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Suggestions for budget tube phono preamp

doctor fuse

doctor fuse

Super Member
I'm curious how a tube phono stage would sound with a Dual 1009 SK2 I have become very fond of.

Any suggestions for decent budget tube phono preamps?

System:
Dual 1009 SK2
Excel ES70EX4 cartridge
Benz Micro PP1 MC preamp ( works surprisingly well with the 2mV output of the Excel)
YS-Audio Symphonies Tube Preamp
Nikko Alpha II amp
Alternate Audio PS40 Planar Speakers
 
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I used the partial schematic in the RCA receiving tube manual, it just shows one channel and no power supply. Turned out to cost me around $100 in parts and it works very well. I made up my own power supply and built it all PTP. Probably not the highest quality but it was cheap and a good winter project. Hum was the biggest problem but careful grounding took care of it.
 
Thanks for the DIY suggestions, guys. I've got a bunch of 12AX7 tubes lying around, and a dead Electrohome SE receiver that might be able to donate some transformers. The rest should be pretty cheap. Mount it on a piece of Pacific Ocean driftwood?

And thanks for that link - I will need to be spoon fed a but, as to what capacitors and resistors, etc, I will need to use.

This is going to be a fun project!
 
Not sure what “budget” means to you but I’ve been super happy with my Project Tube Box S2.

I removed the tube shields for easier and quicker access to roll tubes. And I think it looks cooler like that too.

I’m happy to share more info/observations about it if you’re interested.

B05A66F0-2CA0-4E31-8289-F316609360D0.jpeg
 
rotobadger said:
Not sure what “budget” means to you but I’ve been super happy with my Project Tube Box S2.

I removed the tube shields for easier and quicker access to roll tubes. And I think it looks cooler like that too.

I’m happy to share more info/observations about it if you’re interested.

View attachment 1794019
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Thanks Rotobadger.

I already have a SS phono stage, and a tube preamp, so a hybrid SS/tube phono stage would just be more of the same. I'm looking for (or now thinking of building) a full on tube phono preamp. Just for shits and giggles.
 
I'd give one of the EAR834 Chinese clone PCB's a go, as has already been mentioned. Some of them appear to have regulated B+, and parallel heaters, which the original didn't have.

jeff
 
Budget is such a complicated word to decipher. My advice (advice is like my opinion, man) The HH Scott phonostage is very well designed, quiet, and simple. No kit is offered but with a little ingenuity you can build one point to point. The parts arent expensive for the amp its self. The power supply can be as expensive and complex as you want to make it but it doesn't need to be. (Any phonostage you build or buy will require a good power supply so take charge of that, build your own) you may even have a power supply which will work. 200v and either 6v/12v/24v dc supply, will do it. I think you can build one much nicer than you could buy, for about $500 and a few dozen hours...
 
This is the circuit I built and it works pretty well.
rca-phonopreamp-cct.jpg
 

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