Pure tube phono preamp

I am glad Atma-sphere spoke up about his MP1 and MP3. I am a happy owner of an MP1 for about 25 years.

up the thread, someone asked about the mating of a SUT to a current drive phono stage. That can’t be done. It’s almost an oxymoron. SUTs step up voltage at the expense of current. At the input of a current driven phono stage, current is needed and voltage is not relevant. 

So, it does not matters an all tube can’t mate those 3 phonolinepreamp targets. Today the best you can do for 10K is to go with SS.

This statement is based on three anecdotal examples. This is a logical fallacy called 'Guilt by Association', wherein because the particular phono stages didn't have accurate RIAA curves and were tube, therefore all preamps with tubes have inaccurate RIAA curves. Like any logical fallacy, this idea is false due to a flaw in the logic.


One valuable bit of test equipment is an inverse RIAA curve which quickly and easily allows one to test and see that the curve in a phono section is accurate. One valuable bit of math are the formulae presented to the AES by Dr. Stanley Lipshitz regarding how to generate RIAA equalization networks. If the latter is used in design, and the former used when testing that design, you can create a phono section with accurate RIAA equalization and it will be seen that whether its tube or solid state is completely irrelevant.

Pure tube phono stage
Icon Audio PS1 MK II

and PS3 MKII

Dear @lewm  : you posted:

"  . I am a happy owner of an MP1 for about 25 years. "


Between other things is not what the OP asked for but never mind the issue is that you don't tell the complete " history " on your unit but only a part of it.

Why did not tell in your post that you made it a heavy modification at the SS input gain stage in your unit and latter on ( years latter. ) you bougth a second hand fully SS Phonolinepreamp that twice in this forum you posted ( one of them to mijostyn ) about its superiority/quality against what you were accustomed for all your audio life because you are a tube lover but even that you still own that SS.

Maybe today you don't like it any more and if it's this way then why not share the complete history, makes no sense to me but obviously that you have a precise and specific reasons for not do it that way.

R.

I am using an all tube phono preamp...Scott Frankland's Wavestream Kinetics (the F in MFA) tube phone preamp, which then drives WaveStream Kinetics line stage tube preamp...to MFA 200Cs tube class A mono amps. 

This phono preamp uses 6DJ8 tubes, and these are very quiet...no microphonics....tubes easy to get.  I am currently using GEs tubes. The phono preamp also has different resistors packs so you can adjust load; I have not played with that...but it's there if you want to really dial in your cartridge.  

I use a low MC cartridge (Shelter 901 mark 3) and do not use a SUT.

Beautiful presentation with the Wavestream Kinetics phono.   To put this into perspective... I play 1 to 2 hours/day piano; one son practices tenor tax and the other son practices xylophone and marimba; wife plays violin...so we get to hear all these instruments in the same room as the aforementioned stereo gear.  I have had this gear for about 6 years now, and I no longer search...I spend time trying to be a better piano player instead.